Salutarem Via
by BookwormyThings
Summary: When you get a call from her, you run in the direction she tells you. As Reid begins to realize that his years of freelancing his genius are about to catch up with him, a call from her means it's time to tell his team his best kept secret: his other life. Takes place after season 9 sometime but not cannon to 10. Mentions torture and murder.
1. Prologue

**Title: Salutarem Via**

**Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU. **

**A/N: Hello, friends! I have not been away for very long, but I just could not get this story out of my mind…so I decided to write it. I will not be publishing in a scheduled manner, but I will try to put them up as soon as I am satisfied (aiming for a chapter a week but it might become a chapter every other week). **

**If you want to know more about the backstory for what I call the Lancaster Universe of Criminal Minds, you can either PM with questions or read Hidden Away. You can also leave questions or comments in a review. Thanks for taking the time to read. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. I do however own the Lancasters and their families, the team for the mission, and the unsubs of the case. They are all fictional characters and are not meant to imitate anyone in real life. If they have the same names, it is mere coincidence. If I offend anyone, I apologize in advance. **

**Prologue**

Everyone gathered their things organizing themselves to leave behind their office work entirely ready to go back home to their families. The laughter grew as the team spoke about their home lives…

"Yep, just the other day Henry said he didn't want to go to school, and when Will asked him why he wouldn't say. It wasn't until later that week we found out it was because of a girl in his classroom. Henry is having his first crush," JJ told the story with both genuine worry and thrill at the aspect.

Morgan was the first to leave saying, "As much fun as all of this is, I have to get going. Savannah has the night shift tonight, so I want to be home before she leaves."

Rossi and Garcia were quick to follow with both agreeing it was best to leave the bullpen as soon as humanly possible. The case had been extra difficult for them, especially for Garcia as she had to continually watch video feeds of bombings around the world that could be connected to the one they were investigating. It was fruitless. They did not catch the culprit and their laughter currently singing in the air did not catch the usual sparkle they tend to have in their eyes.

There was no sparkle.

Only JJ and Reid were left in the bullpen with Hotch speaking with Cruz in his office. Both JJ and Reid sat at their respective desks: Reid dazzlingly flipping through some form of foreign literature and JJ simply staring at Reid. No one really noticed how much this case affected Reid for they were all preoccupied with catching the sick excuse of a human being, but now, JJ could not escape the negative energy irrupting from Reid. Something was clearly off, and she could not put her finger on it.

After half an hour of her doing nothing, she decided that it was best to go on home. She bid Reid farewell commenting, "Hey, Spence, you okay?"

Brought out of his workaholic zone, Reid jumped slightly before replying, "Yeah, I'm fine," with a curt nod.

JJ, unbelieving, added, "You sure. I don't want to leave you here on your own, if something is bothering you?"

Reid gave the most convincing smile he could handle and said, "You go ahead home, JJ. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself, and besides I am fine, just a little tired."

JJ got up to leave responding, "Okay, I'm off then. Don't stay here all night, Spence. Go home and get a good night sleep. You earned it this time."

Reid nodded as sign of his agreement. He really did earn it. The case had been grueling and most of the effort came from a tag team made of him and Garcia. Even with the two geniuses combining efforts, they could not solve the case. Forced by circumstances to leave Maryland, the team left completely unsatisfied with their performance.

JJ walked into the elevator, as Cruz stumbled his way over asking her to hold it for him. Both of them on their way to their lives, the only ones left in the office space were Hotch and Reid.

Hotch's face declared that he would be adamant that Reid go home before his voice even spoke out, "Reid, what are you still doing here?"

With no hesitation, Reid announced his intentions, "I'm going to stay a little longer to get some paperwork done. You know the rest of the team sneaks some on my pile all the time. If I don't stay, I will fall behind on paperwork."

Hotch shook his head proclaiming, "You really shouldn't let them do that. Don't stay too late tonight Reid. We all need a good night's rest including you. Go home."

Reid gave a hard grin in response, "Yes, sir."

After Hotch's departure, the only noises that could be heard consisted of squeaking from a chair and the rapid turning of pages creating a soft symphony of familiar sounds. Darkness rang through the mostly empty room but a single desk light shined on the stack of files waiting to be read.

Reid contemplated the case numbly. He could not shake it the way the others had. Seventeen people died in that bombing with twenty-three laying in a hospital with little hope of survival. He failed them and their families.

Two hours passed in the silence of him just going through the files on his desk before a phone interrupted his routine.

Reid utterly confused by the sound fumbled through his things until he found an unfamiliar cell phone hidden within his belongs. There was only one person in his acquaintance capable of sneaking the phone in his messenger bag.

Picking up the phone with a sigh, he answered, "Reid."

"Hello, Reid."

The voice on the other line filled his belly with a strange sensation of unusualness and familiarity. He knew this voice extremely well, but he also knew that it should not be the one on the other side speaking to him. Despite the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach, he could not deny the jolt of pleasure that course through him when he heard the voice.

The pleasure drained, as soon as the next words were said, "They're watching us and they're close."

Reid paled and his breathing began to trouble him, as the beating of his heart doubled in speed. His next words fumbled on his tongue, "Are you positive?"

"Yes."

Reid shut his eyes in frustration and because of the nauseated feeling coming upon him before questioning further, "How can you be positive? You can't be a hundred percent sure. You just can't…"

Disrupting his chain of thought, the voice declared, "Keller's dead and Schneider's missing, so yes we are sure. They are watching you, Spencer. You have to be extra vigilant and act as normal as possible. You don't want to alarm anyone around especially them that you know that they are watching."

Reid sighed, "Okay, don't worry. This isn't my first time around the park. I know protocol, and I know how to act when this happens."

"I know. I have warned you, and now I am putting us in physical danger to tell you all of this. They didn't want you to know out of fear that they would find you. I don't care about that. It's much more dangerous for you walking around without knowing."

Reid's frustration saw the light with his words, "Seriously, Adds. Sometimes, it's okay to think about yourself first, but thanks for the heads up. I'll keep an eye out for them or any hints of where they might be."

Sighing, she finished their conversation with five simple words that showed all of her feelings for the man listening, "Please be careful, Billy boy."

Reid gently smiled and replied to no one as she already hung up, "Always."


	2. Together Again

**Title: Salutarem Via **

**Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU.**

**A/N: Hello, people of the internet! I have come back with the first official chapter of my first multi-chapter story. I am hoping to get another chapter out as soon as possible hopefully in a week or two . I hope you guys like this beginning. If anyone has any questions, you are all welcomed to send me a PM. Also, updates are going to be slow. I am a college student with a full schedule, so I will update as often as I can but that may be once or twice a month. I am sorry about that. Life kind of sucks like that. **

**Please review! **

**Shout out to Sue1313, noobz40, starfire25, and OhWell1960 for being my first reviewers of this story. Those lovely reviews made me more enthusiastic to write this story. **

**Disclaimer: I do not have the pleasure of owning Criminal Minds. That honor belongs to CBS. **

**Chapter One: Together Again **

**"Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling in at night. I miss you like hell."-Edna St. Vincent Millay **

Having spent the last week paranoid, Reid finally experienced some good news when he entered his apartment and a gift sat neatly on his coffee table. He knew who it was from and why it was sent.

Reid scurried over to the table where a bouquet of dahlias and begonias waiting to be searched, so Reid did. He searched for the very small and important letter that was meant to confirm his suspicions. Within his search, he came across the note saying...

_The usual spot at the usual time. Hope to see you there... _

Reid went to his room making plans to lose the trail that he had on him on the weekends. This was most definitely going to be difficult, but he was not a genius in government work for nothing. He impressed them, and now he has to impress her.

* * *

><p>In the darkness, a child soundly slept drifting into a wondrous dream. That little boy never saw it coming...the hands in the night.<p>

He did not even get the chance to scream.

* * *

><p>Spencer ran to the subway erratically fully knowing that his behavior would fit under his profile that his followers would surely have of him. He could easily lose them in the crowd without giving away his knowledge about the situation. They would have to wait out there for him to arrive back home.<p>

He jumped into his train car and sat down with the note in his hand. He kept looking at it trying to imagine how this meeting was going to go.

He was worried. Her request for his presence means something and usually not anything good. She must have need to see him in person, if she would risk their safety. She was overly cautious and would never overtly put them in danger unless absolutely necessary. He also knew that she should not be involved in any cases that had his name on it including this one, especially this one. He was well aware that she had a hand in choosing the team for the mission which is how he ended up on the lineup, but that she rarely left her office in the Pentagon dealing with all the bureaucrats. This had been a an exception.

It was hard for everyone.

He sighed when he remembered the last time her saw her. She looked beautiful with her brown hair blowing in the wind, and the only thing lessening her beauty was her grim expression and her black clothing. He saw her from afar, but her presence at Maeve's funeral brought him comfort.

He dug into his messenger bag for his book. He read_ Zettels Traum _in the original German hoping that it would entertain him longer than it would normally. One thousand three hundred thirty-three pages in a language that he was not completely proficient in, but it still should not take him more than forty minutes give or take a few which means that he had about ten minutes to just sit here and do nothing.

Thirty-seven minutes later, Reid was stuffing the book back into his bag checking the time. About ten minutes to go just as predicted. When he finally looked up, he noticed a mother-son pair staring at him. He tried to relieve some of his nerves at being gawked at by giving them a soft smile recognizing their existence.

There was four minutes of awkward silence. The boy looked at his mom as if pressuring her to ask something...she finally opened her mouth to ask, "How can you read that fast? Can you read that fast?"

Reid laughed, "I get that a lot. Yes, I can read that fast. Our unconscious mind can process eleven million bits of information making it possible to read that fast. It just takes dedication, practice, and intelligence. Most people that speed read tend to have higher IQs and it is easier for people who have ADD, ADHD, and Dyslexia because of their shorter attention spans...sorry you probably didn't want to know that."

The young mom appeared to be in her late twenties to early thirties, while her son could not be more than five or six years old. She gave Reid a flirty giggle, "No, I think that is fascinating though it was a little egotistical to insinuate that you have a high IQ."

Reid blushed stuttering, "I...well...um...I don't believe that intelligence can be quantified in that manner, but I do have a high IQ in most people's perspective. It isn't ego. It's just a fact like how each train car can carry 250 people at a speed of about ninety kilometers or about sixty miles per hour is just a fact."

The mother scooted back into her seat simply smirking at Reid with her little boy saying that the strange man talked a lot like a computer. Silence was again taking over the car, as Reid tried to regain his concentration about the task that was merely minutes away.

The robotic voice announced his stop, and he stood up giving one last glance to the mother-son duo before hopping off the car into the crowd of people.

He walked toward a little café that was filled with people, though it was not too noisy preventing comfortable conversation. He asked for a table and sat down. All that was left to do was wait.

He hoped she would show up.

* * *

><p>They enter the blue bedroom hoping to awake the sleeping boy just find the bed sheets on the floor and no boy laying inside the warm cocoon. Toys were in disarray everywhere.<p>

The man called the sweet little boy's name, while his wife simply screamed.

* * *

><p>Reid sat there looking over files waiting for her to show up. He knew she would not be on time, but as he glanced at his watch one more time he began to wonder if he placed to much trust in her. Just as that doubt crept into the corners of his mind, he shook it out. He knew that she has gained his trust over the years. There was no other person he trusted more and for good reason. He would wait as long as he need to wait, because this was the only chance they have to meet in person. Leaving all doubt behind him, Reid went on reading his files and taking notes whenever appropriate.<p>

Five minutes later a feminine voice spoke in front of him, "Two hours is a long time to be waiting for someone. Must be someone special."

Reid replied without a second thought, "No one like her."

The voice carried on, "Is she worth the wait?"

Reid moved his head upward unable to hide the smirk that was forming and answered, "Always."

The woman pulled a chair out staring right at Reid, a smile on her face, "Hey, Billy Boy."

She sat down as Reid straighten up. He responded with a chuckle at the nickname, "Hey, Addie. Long time, no see. How's life been since the last time we did this?"

Addie gave him a small, sad smile, "It could have been better."

Reid's eyes mimicked her uneasiness, and they simply stared at one another for a moment soaking in the other's presence. Trying to memorize their physical figures before they walked out of each other's lives once more fully acknowledging the fact that this may be the last time they would meet in person.

He turned away first, too overwhelmed by her flawed perfection, before looking up and saying, "You didn't have too much trouble getting here, did you? No problems along the way?"

Addie gave a hard laugh, "No...no, not at all, Reid. You know me. I am a ninja: quick, quiet, and unnoticeable until it's too late."

Silence settled between them. Both of them wanted to salvage this easiness before they had to speak about the problem they have to face. No one wanted to speak first becoming the bearer of bad news. Addie's expression became pained at the look Reid displayed currently. She was the last person who wanted to bring danger into his life, and now his life might just end too soon because of her.

Sighing Addie finally broached the subject, "We don't have a lot of time."

Reid nodded agreeing, "Yes, I know."

Addie continued, "My hands are tied when it comes to this. I coined my last good favor to contact you, so I am not going to be of any use in locating any of the others. What I can do is this." She handed Reid a small phone before adding, "It is untraceable, and it can only call two numbers: a phone just like this that I will have with me at all times and the head of my security team in the States, Javier Ortiz. If you ever need to call me, those two numbers are the only ones that will be safe for us to talk. They are tracking all of our personal electronic devices. Nothing we own is safe. Do you understand?"

Reid quickly nodded and took the phone on the table. He stashed it in his messenger bag beneath paper documents and books, so no one on his team would accidentally come across it, "Yeah, I got it. You going to be okay?"

Smirking, Addie said, "Me. Oh, yeah, I will be fine. They messed with the wrong team. I have eyes and ears everywhere. They will make the mistake every other sick bastard does, and when they do I will know. They will be locked away for such a long time that they will even miss those strong, pungent smells you can taste in the air. I will bury them, so deep that no one will remember their existence. I promise you that, Spencer."

Reid nodded once again emitting only silence just sitting there waiting for her to take the lead.

She moved her head slightly and ended their time together with these last words, "It has been ten minutes, and that is the most we have before they notice anything. Use your bravery in battle, Reid, and you will find His name and He will be with you." She stood up about to leave him behind when she thought better of it twisting her body to face Reid once more before departing, "Be brilliant, Billy Boy. Be brilliant and nothing will stop you. I've seen what you are capable of and all you have to do is be brilliant."

Reid admired her as she walked away from the café, and he knew he was seeing her for the last time. Something in him knew that everything would be different after this...he would be different. She would be different. His team would be different.

Reid sighed readying himself to catch the train headed back to Quantico.

* * *

><p>The couple called the police wanting to find him as soon as possible. He was only four years old and they could imagine how scared he must be. He was all they had in this world.<p>

As officers filed into their home, she just cried for her little boy back and he requested for more help in finding him.

The husband told the officer of their history and of any possible suspects, "He's our grandson. Our son died two years ago and his mother, our daughter-in-law, is a drug addict. We took him in and my wife and I just want him back."

The officer reassured him, "Don't worry, sir. We are calling reinforcements: the best of the best. We are going to find him."

* * *

><p>Opening the door to his apartment, Reid's heart rate began to quicken as noises could be heard. Ready for a fight, he burst through the door only to see JJ and Morgan.<p>

"Whoa, Pretty Boy! Take it easy, man." Morgan said with a tone of surprise.

Reid saw the look of worry on JJ's face before apologizing, "Sorry. I just wasn't expecting you. Something up?"

JJ stared at Reid for reassurance of his words and found nothing out of place, so she answered, "Yeah, a boy, age four, went missing from his home last night. We are on the case with only ten hours before he will be missing for twenty-four hours."

Reid acknowledged the urgency of the situation and rapidly went into his room grabbed what he needed to head out, while Morgan added, "We are running point from Quantico. Hotch went to the police station to talk to the LEOs on the case. We are meeting up with Rossi and the new guy, Glover I think, at headquarters."

"You could have just called," Reid pointed out.

JJ appeared to be upset replying, "We tried, but we couldn't reach you. Morgan and I volunteered to come and get you."

Reid's expression turned grim taking out his cell to check. Seeing that he did indeed have five missed calls, seven text messages, and two voice-mails, he announced, "Sorry. I must have had bad reception where I was. Let's not waste anymore time." As he said those things, Reid stalked his way out of his apartment.

* * *

><p>A man looked calmly to the scared boy, "Don't you worry. You are going to be happy soon. I promise."<p>

The boy sniffed crying, "I wanna go home. Please, take me home."

The man, angry, yelled, "This is your home now. Don't cry, because I don't like kids that cry, 'pecially boys. Boys ain't suppose to cry. They are men."

* * *

><p>They walked into the bullpen with the boy in mind and a completely focused mind. Rossi and Glover were already there waiting. As the rest of the team joined the circle, Rossi hung up the phone.<p>

He turned around and greeted everyone officially introducing the new addition, "Hey, well, we have no real time for pleasantries, so let's get right to it. This is Nathan Glover. He worked for the New York department in the White Collar unit. Glover, this is Derek Morgan, Jennifer Jareau and Spencer Reid. Now, with that out of the way, let's get down to business. Hotch says that the found a toy that belongs to Adam Jenkins about two miles from the house and a sweater about six miles. We know Adam lives with his paternal grandparents. Dad is dead and mom is receiving treatment for a nasty drug problem. So, JJ and I will go see the grandparents. Morgan and Glover go to visit the mother. Her program involves weekly trips back home, and she should be home this week. Boy Genius, Hotch wants you to make a geographic profile with the information about Adam's stuff we found. He said he was going to send you more information to you personally. No, time to waste."

Everyone took turns looking at each other before going to work.

Two hours in and they were not any closer to finding Adam. Reid had colored the map, but with each new clue he felt dissatisfied with it and changed it. Not to mention, Addie flooded his thoughts constantly. Something about the end of their conversation seemed wrong like something she would not say or could not say. Adelaide Lancaster was a Linguist and she never said anything without a purpose especially if she knew they only had a lousy ten minutes together.

Something was hidden in her words, and she wanted him to figure it out. Of course she did. She told him to be brilliant, so that was exactly what he will do. First, he will find Adam and then he will be so brilliant the sun will envy him.

* * *

><p>They have been on the case for four hours and all they had was a twenty mile radius of where the unsub might be and a profile that fit none of the characteristics of the people living in the determined radius. Reid had double, triple checked his math.<p>

Morgan spoke up first, "We are looking for a white man in his mid to late thirties. He blends into the neighborhood meaning he doesn't look threatening or dangerous. He could be a delivery man or someone in a uniform, though not someone in law enforcement. He is not that smart as he left evidence, but he can't be on the slow side either as he semi-cleaned the crime scene leaving no fingerprints."

Everyone stayed quiet as they independently went through the name of suspects they had...Reid's face perked up as an the answer to one of his problems came to him. Hotch was giving orders sending most of the team to re-interview everyone of importance. Reid was left with alone.

Rearranging the geographical profile one last time, Reid's mind sped through his conversation with Adelaide. Everything seemed normal until the very last part. Addie was an atheist or at least an agnostic, so her preaching about God appeared to be abnormal. The nonsense about his bravery in battle was odd as well, so that was all a cryptic message for him.

He worked on the map for an hour adding as much detail as he could. Then it hit him. Garcia means brave in battle and Samuel means the name of God. Manuel means God is with us.

Reid whispered to himself, "You are a genius, Addie. You really are." She gave him everything he needed to find the other members of their team since her hands were tied. She warned him he would have ten minutes, but that Garcia's computers were safe enough for him to track Manuela and the Samuels Twins. He hoped that was brilliant enough for her, brilliant enough for all of them.

He ran to Garcia's door, but he halted outside to think about what he was going to say to her. Thinking quick on his feet, he opened the door.

Garcia, draped in her colorful attire, moved her chair to face him. With a smile adorning her face, she greeted him, "Hey, Boy Wonder. Come to seek the queen of the digital and technological world. Well, you have found her. What can I do for you?"

Reid masked his real intentions and began playing a well acted part. Feigning pain, he grunted, "I...um...I wanted to get away from the bullpen. I...um..."

Garcia laced her expression with worry asking, "Are you in pain? Is it your neck? You know no one will judge you if you decided to take some medication for the pain, Reid."

Reid placed a small smile on his face replying, "I know. That's not why I don't take narcotics, Garcia. I just...I just want some quiet time, and I thought Garcia's batcave might be the best place to do it. Is that okay? Me using this room?"

Violently nodding, Garcia said, "Don't worry, my sweet. I will be back in fifteen tops with tea and other things that will help with the pain that I will know after I google them."

Reid shared his gratitude, and as Garcia slowly closed the door behind her, his demeanor completely transformed. Gone was the painful expression and in its place was one of determination and calculation. Reid forcefully sat on Garcia's chair and violently began hacking his way into the government's hidden database. Reid silently thanked himself for paying attention to both Garcia and the Samuels Twins as they worked their magic on the computer.

He had been on Garcia's computer for four minutes with nothing to show for it. He couldn't...could he? He started to login into the system when he realized he would not have access to it anymore, not since he stopped consulting for other agencies two years ago. Nothing Adelaide did was accidental. There must be a reason she was two hours late, a reason why they met at that café, a reason why they met at that day and at that time.

The café's address starts with the number 18 and ends with 2. Zeros were never used; they were unimportant. The café was west on it's street. They usually meet around noon at the café, but Addie was two hours late. Addie was also a linguist. Words were her life...what did she say that could be taken out of context something about air and burying them. Miss the strong, pungent smells you can taste in the air. That obviously meant the word acrid. Burying them, so deep could she mean the phrase deep six connecting the idea of burying someone six feet into the ground in a burial. That would indicate...Reid quickly typed in 182W14AD6.

Their on the screen was everything he could need about their mission. Seeing the world dead next to the names of some of his colleagues pulled at Reid's heart. It was too late for them. He can still save the others. He quickly got a hold of their information. Committing it to memory, Reid deleted all of the recent history from Garcia's hard drive. If only she knew, what he could do with a computer.

Lifting his wrist to check his watch, Reid breathed. Just under ten minutes. All he had to do was wait for Garcia and then back to finding Adam. Two minutes after Reid shut down the system, Garcia stumbled in with some tea and goodies.

She announced, "Here you go. Some deliciousness for my handsome doctor."

Reid scrunched his eyes in feigned pain thanking her. He grabbed the cup of tea and one cookie. After finishing, he decided it was time to head back to the bullpen. "Hey, Garcia. I have to go. Thanks again. This really helped."

He walked into the conference room to find everyone was already gathered round brainstorming. He sat down on the chair closest to him. The entire team turned to stare at him.

Glover, annoyed by his lack of participation, asked, "Where have you been?"

Reid was about to answer when Morgan interrupted, "Yeah, man. You have been MIA, though I do got to say that geographic profile was the best I have seen in a while even for you."

Reid stared at the bored and then at his color-coated map. He jumped out of his sit to make sure and then he questioned the team, "Did you guys talk to Fred Price?"

Rossi confused by the question asked read to elaborate, "Why would we talk to him? He was just a resident of the same rehab center as Molly Jenkins. As far as we know, he had no relationship with Molly or Adam. He has an average IQ and does not need a uniform for the type of work he does."

Hotch having caught up to Reid's line of thinking said, "But he fits the profile. We only said that the uniform would help him blend in the neighborhood, but he works for an independent plumbing company. People won't question a van, if it looks mundane and has a logo for plumbing on the side."

JJ perked up adding, "But he doesn't live in the parameters, Spence, said he would live in."

Reid interjected, "No, he doesn't. The rehab center is though, and you know who else..." Pointing to the map, he continued, "...Molly Jenkins."

* * *

><p>Morgan kicked down the door to find a crying Adam in the arms of his mother. She looked up at them and began whimpering, "Don't take my baby. He's mine, and I just wanted to see him. They won't let me see him. I just missed him. I just wanted to see him."<p>

They all looked at one another before JJ carefully unlocked Adam from Molly's arms murmuring to him that he would be returned home.

Hotch asked Molly where Fred was and she pointed to the back of the house. Morgan and Glover marched into the backroom to find Fred Price tucked in the corner afraid. Rossi cuffed Molly while Morgan held Fred. They were both arrested for the kidnapping of Adam Jenkins.

* * *

><p>As they entered the bullpen for the last time that night, JJ grunted about it being a long day. Morgan added about it ending well. Hotch announced that they were all free to go home, but that he expected them to all be here tomorrow morning to do their reports. Everyone slowly disappeared welcoming Glover to the team and congratulating him on his first official day on the case.<p>

Reid was left alone. He had to see the director about his private office. He was going to need that space, but he also needed the most secure computer this building could offer him. He crept into Garcia's now empty lair and sent his message to the last standing members of his old team hoping he got to the before they did. Going through many servers to make it untraceable, he sent them two words, one phrase: Saving Path.

He warned them, and now all they had to do was survive.

* * *

><p>Reid opened the door to his apartment, and just like before there on his coffee table was another set of flowers. This time dark pink roses intertwined with palm leaves. The note read...<p>

_Way to be brilliant. Adam appreciates your work and so do I._

Reid chuckled. She really did have eyes and ears everywhere. She had confidence that was enough to beat them at their own game. He hoped she was right like she always seemed to be.


	3. The Magic of Hope

**Title: Salutarem Via**

**Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU.**

**A/N: I am back with another chapter. Before we go into the drama of Reid's life, I just wanted to express my gratitude to all of those that have favorited, followed, and reviewed this story this far. You do not know how wonderful it feels to see that type of notification. It really makes my day, so keep them coming. Let's hope that I can keep up with all you awesome readers.**

**Also, this is a reminder that I don't have a beta. I would greatly appreciate it if you'd tell me where I have mistakes if you catch them. I try to edit as much as I can, but I am doing this by myself so I will miss things. I am sorry if that kind of thing annoys you. I understand entirely.**

**Again, I apologize for the lack of frequent updates. College is really kicking my ass this semester. Don't let that discourage you from reading. I will not give up on this story that easily. This is the longest chapter I have ever written almost reaching ten pages. The next one is shorter and should be out sooner. Fingers crossed. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or its characters. If I did, Reid would be the focus in a lot more episodes and we would most definitely know more about Hotch's childhood or just in general. I really like Hotch. **

**Chapter Two: The Magic of Hope**

**"Hope can be a powerful force. Maybe there's no actual magic in it, but when you know what you hope for most and hold it like a light within you, you can make things happen, almost like magic."-Laini Taylor **

Something about the last couple days seemed to be dream-like and surreal. Reid knew that all he could do was wait. He hoped that the lack of responses from the others meant that they were in hiding or at least hyper-vigilant. Still, his constant thoughts about his predicament started to take a toll on him. He slept less than usual which was not much in the beginning. When he could shut off his brain and doze off, he would be awaken by any slight noise or he would jump awake from his nightmares.

No, sleep was no longer part of his routine.

Coffee went from being an addiction to a lifeline. He could not stay up and became easily distracted. Caffeine kept him functioning during cases, but his super brain left much to be desired. Not working to its full potential, Reid had been having trouble with the tasks Hotch assigned him in comparison to himself. Most individuals did not work at the speed Reid's brain could on a regular basis. Only Reid noticed that he was not completely keep up with the rest of them most of the time, as he was never fully present during cases. His mind wandered away concentrating on Addie and the others.

Everyone sat quietly with Reid in the corner of the jet by himself. Hotch busied himself with paperwork while everyone else gathered together to talk to one another. No one really wanted to break the silence until JJ broached the sensitive subject, "I know we are all thinking this, so...has anyone noticed something weird about Reid?"

All of them did not notice that there was something off about Reid. In fact, most of them did not notice anything wrong at all except for Rossi. He was trying to profile him to get some sort of reassurance that the youngest member was actually fine. The problem with that was Rossi never could get an accurate read on the genius. Reid was too different, too unusual, too extraordinary. He did not fit into a perfectly kept box like most individuals did. Yes, humanity was complex and should not be limited to categories, but in all honesty, most people could be squeezed into those boxes without much of a fight.

Reid was not one of those people and for the last six, almost seven years Rossi had wondered why he had been the only one to realize how complicated Reid actually was. The team thought they had him profiled, but ever since Reid told him about Tobias Hankel, Rossi knew better.

Morgan shook his head and replied, "Nah, I think Pretty Boy just stayed up all night solving some impossibly hard math problem or maybe he was watching a weird foreign science fiction movie keeping track of all the mistakes. Seriously, JJ, you are reading too much into this. I'm sure of it."

Glover agreed chiming in, "I may not know Reid as well as you do, but I have to agree with Morgan. He seems like the type of guy that can just get so wrapped into what he's doing that time kind of gets away from him."

JJ's worry did not simply melt away. With on final glance at Reid, she nodded her head quickly jumping on board though not completely convinced, "Yeah, you, guys, are probably right."

Reid separated himself from the group on purpose needing to know what they have on him, what they thought about him. He effortlessly read their lips from the angel he positioned himself. A part of him resented how easily they could dismiss his behavior, yet he knew that it was better for his team that way. Everything he did was a well calculated action from deciding when to show more skill and competence to knowing when to pull back and become that frightened young agent that he used to be. He worked harder then anyone gave him credit, and he was extremely good at his job. An expert liar and manipulator, Reid used his profiler skills on his team in every dangerous circumstances. He drove most situations without anyone realizing what he was doing, and he preferred to keep it that way if possible. He knew the odds were against it. But...

If they did not confront him, he did not have to decide between keeping them safely oblivious to the whole situation or endangering them for his own sanity by telling them the entire truth. As he profiled them, Reid felt a pang of apprehension from Rossi's expression. He had to be more careful to throw him off his game. Rossi was a liability that Reid could not afford.

He returned to the papers in his hands. Hidden by the FBI folder, Reid was going over his notes about his ops mission from four years ago. He compared his knowledge with the information he uncovered while he used Garcia's system. New information presented itself a few years after he reinstated himself to the BAU. He just wished that was enough to have stopped all of this from happening.

Suddenly, he felt someone's stare on his person. He knew that it was impossible for them to be on this plane, yet his heartbeat still started to rise and his breathing hitched. He moved his eyes to meet theirs.

Hotch's glare intensified with Reid meeting his eyes. It sent shivers down his spine. Hotch knew more than he was letting on...he has always known more.

Reid acknowledged that part of the game years ago. Hotch was a smarted profiler then all of them, sometimes even Rossi. He also knew that he would truly never do anything with the information unless circumstances forced his hand. Reid appreciated his lack of involvement, yet as Hotch stared at him now Reid's mind calculated all the possible outcomes: one being that Hotch would interfere out of worry and curiosity and he would die because of his ignorance leaving Jack without a father and mother. Both killed by vile individuals with a superiority complex.

Reid quickly broke the stare not being able to meet Hotch in the eye any longer. Loyal and caring Aaron Hotchner who would do anything and everything for his team, and Reid lied to him probably every step of the way since he met him, especially recently.

The pilot announced their arrival. With a soft smooth landing, Reid packed his things rapidly. He needed to speak with the director as soon as possible. Stealing a final glance to his team, Reid was the first to step outside the jet and into the building not waiting for anyone else like he usually did.

In the bullpen, Reid relaxed slightly. He did not deserve anyone's love and loyalty especially not from this team or any of his pervious teams. The only person he has proven to be honest with has been Maeve, and what did that get her...killed by a psychopath. And Addie...smart, dedicated, Addie. Her life was on the line just as much as his and Manny's and the Samuel Twins'. If things kept going like this, they would all be dead in a few weeks time. Killed by a psychopath just like Maeve. But he could not think like that for right now. That happening to anyone else he cared about was not a possibility he would entertain. It caused him to much pain and it disorganized his thought process. He needed a clear head, if everyone left was to live.

Laughter irrupted from behind him, he swallowed the hurt in his chest and turned around. Masking his secret perfectly, Reid inserted himself in the conversation, "What's up?"

Morgan snorted, "Hey, man, you completely missed it. Glover, here, tripped and the way he landed...funniest thing I have seen in a while."

JJ's giggle and Rossi's chuckle could be heard mingling with Glover's grunting and Hotch's dignified smile (as close to a laugh Hotch does these days). Reid gave them a grin, "Sorry, I missed it."

His smile held a honesty that he had not presented itself in a long time. He was glad his team had time for laughter and joy and love. His heart thumbed in discontentment with his inability to just enjoy life that way before his death unless he saves them. He hoped he could save them.

Morgan calmed down and said, "I have to go. Savannah's waiting. See you guys later."

JJ and Glover mimicked Morgan's goodbye as they both had families at home anticipating their return. Rossi and Hotch walked to their offices stayed only for about ten minutes before both of them stalked out of them: Rossi toward the elevator and Hotch toward Reid.

Giving Hotch a final nod, Rossi opened the glass door and left them behind in the dimly lit room. As Hotch looked at him, Reid sighed softly with his eyes closed in frustration. He waited for his boss to broach the subject.

Seriousness covered his face and poured out in his voice, "Reid, you want to tell me what's wrong or am I going to have to pull it out of you?"

Weighing his options, Reid spoke out deciding that a lie would be better than the truth at least for now, "I...I...um...I'm having some pain trouble, but I should be fine. My doctor says I should be fine in time."

Hotch's faces seemed to both contract with worry and relax at Reid's revelation, "You could take some sort of medication for the pain, Reid. No one expects you to suffer needlessly..."

Interrupting him, Reid said, "I know that none of you expect me to, but I can't Hotch. I really can't go there. My doctor says it should only last a couple more weeks tops. I can make it through a couple more weeks. I am sorry that my work has suffered because of this. I promise I won't let it slip again."

Hotch frustrated with the situation murmured, "It is not your job that I am worried about, Spencer. You still run circles around us in a bad day for you and we are at our best. I am worried about your health, about you. Take some time off and focus on yourself. Get better. That's an order. Understood?" Reid nodded and Hotch continued, "Good. Now, I am going to my office and when I come back in about twenty minutes or so I do not want to see you here doing work."

"Yes, sir."

Reid watched his boss walk toward his office. Guilt settled in his stomach churning away. Nauseated by his actions, Reid thought it best to march on up to see the director now. He hoped what he was doing was enough to save them all.

* * *

><p>He automatically traced the message back to its origin. He became paranoid thanks to his line of work, isolated himself from society as much as he could. When he realized how fruitless that was for someone like him, he vowed to never to return to espionage game. He waved goodbye to his pervious life that included his brother and turned to walk away forever. He did not glance back even once.<p>

His goodbye was indeed definite until now.

Two words flipped his life upside down (or right side up depending on you view). There in the message were the last two words he ever yearned to see...Saving Path. God, he had the worst luck.

The message was untraceable meaning two things: it was legitimately from Reid or they had gotten much smarter since the last time. He put his money on the former which means his brother received one as well.

Pulling out the phone that was always off, he powered it up. He had a phone call to make directly to his brother. Waiting for it to be on fully, he formulated the conversation he wanted to have with him. As the light on the screen brightened, he sighed and began to dial the rarely used number, rarely used but never forgotten.

He waited only for one single ring. His brother did not even answer the call with a proper greeting, "Hey, Quinn, you got the message too. Is it real? Is it really Reid giving the warning?"

Quinn inhaled his words contemplating them more deeply before releasing them, "I do think it's real, Coby. I have to think it's true, because saying the opposite means that they are not only winning but that they have won. They can't win, so...yeah, it's really Reid. They really are coming. They really are watching."

Coby's breathing quickened with his heartbeat, "Guess, you were right. Should have gone into the nether sphere with you. They probably don't have a clue where you are."

Quinn shook his head adding, "They will now. I called you. I have compromised my position. Not that it matters. I was headed back to civilization so enough. I just wanted to call you first."

Coby rapidly mentioned, "You still have time to hang up. Ten minutes was the time interval they had last time and we left them destitute. What are the chances that there equipment has proved that much in the last few years. You can still be safe."

Quinn's next word chilled Coby thoroughly, "No. Not one of us is safe. I'm coming back just for that reason. No one is safe as long as they are out there us least of all."

Saying their goodbyes, both brothers hung up and replied to the message. After making sure that the message would not be discovered by anyone but Reid, Quinn rummaged through one of his desk drawers. With some determination, he wrapped his fingers around the desired object. Shiny reflecting the desk lamp's light, a card marked with his name: Quinlan Samuels Central Intelligence Agency: Langley. He imagined his brother's name over his...Jacoby Samuels Central Intelligence Agency: Langley.

They were identical twins, identical genius twins. Of course, they ended up working for the government and now they were on the run fighting for survival. Luckily for them, the whole team contained geniuses of some sort or another. All of their lives were on the line, and not one of them was going down without a fight.

He wondered who was still left alive out there. Adelaide's face flashed through his mind. Her beautiful green eyes filled with intelligence. Manuela's face followed. Her strong jaw and crooked nose warned off all danger. Schneider's old face passed his mind portraying exactly what a life in government work could do to you. Keller's face emerged with a smile on it. The way it would have been before the tragedy that broke them apart. He defied all stereotypes of someone in his profession, if only life had allowed him to stay that way. Then, there was Reid. Tall, and skinny, with a face so pretty, people confused him for a girl. His mind was certainly the sharpest of any person that he has ever encountered.

They all needed to be alive, because for every single death meant a victory for the opponent.

Looking at his ID, Quinn hoped that they could put a stop to this...that they could be the heroes they ventured out to be when they started. He hoped they were enough.

Hundreds of miles away, Coby looked at an identical card hoping for the very same thing.

* * *

><p>Addie holds a quiet disdain for her office. Many of her colleagues kept theirs neat and crisp with awards, diplomas, and commendations hanging from the walls ready to attack everyone who enters with their impressive nature. She kept hers in a rather similar manner despite her hatred for the impersonal look of it. She knew people found it difficult to take her seriously in her position. She was a young and beautiful, but most of all she was a woman. Everything someone in this field should not be, so she followed office decorating protocol.<p>

Her extensive collection of diplomas showcased her genius, and her medals on the shelves introduced her as someone with the capabilities of fighting with the best of them.

Her name was usually enough to get her through any door, nowadays. People found her intimating and scary. She made enough friends in every branch of government work that she pulled most of the strings without anyone really knowing it was she who made the decisions. The Attorney General of the United States was on her speed dial and the President considered her a personal friend of his.

She collected favors from powerful people and she reaped the rewards of it, not that it took much. Her father was a well-respected military man with quite the mathematical talent. A code breaker for the army, he still won awards for his services to this day. Her mother worked for the PR team for a former presidential administration befriending the family in the process. (She still gets birthday cards from the daughter). Before that gig, she was a big-time lawyer. Now, both her parents are retired and proud of their successful children.

Her older sister, Eloise, was a well-respected doctor who was considered the best surgeon in her field and already in medical books, a great compliment seeing as she just enter her forties. She just recently accepted a job in a government funded research lab. Her specialty was neurology and was studying the effects of drugs on the brain and consequently the effects it had on their learning ability. Her older brother, Dashiell, worked for the military designing weapons for a few years before accepting a prestigious tenured job at California Institute of Technology for both teaching the young and bright and doing research in robotic technology. They were a gifted family to say the least, all of them geniuses under the government's radar.

Addie made mental note to call her sister about possible medication for Reid's neck. Can't have him be in constant pain. She also needed to call her brother about a suspicious bombing not that long ago. He may have first hand knowledge about the bomb used.

But first thing's first...

She picked up her phone and dialed a number. As it rang, Adelaide prepared her speech in her head. She had to be firm and in control. No, second guessing herself.

The man answered his phone on the second ring, "Hello, Dr. Lancaster."

A smile crept on her stone face, "Robert, how are you doing this fine evening?"

She heard a gulp from the other side and a nervous response, "I am well. I hope you are too...well that is. I hope you are well and that you are having a splendid evening. "

Her voice transformed into a sickeningly sweet tone, "I will be well and the evening will be splendid after you do something for me. That is if you can?"

The hesitation on Robert's behave was obvious, but she knew he would give in to her, "Yes, of course. What do you need done?"

She straightened up in her chair and her voice was calculated and all business once again, "One of your agents will come to talk to you today about urgent business. He will ask you for something he needs, and you will give it to him. Whatever he asks, however impractically it may be for someone of his ranking, you will give it to him."

"Why would I do that? What is it for anyway?"

Addie sighed, "You do not need to know why or what. That is classified information that only a selected few individuals have the privilege and clearance to know. All you have to know is that he will come and you will do it. Is that clear?" She emphasized the word clearance to help get her point across. Despite Robert Blackwell's position in the government, he did not have the intelligence, ability, or connections to know the full story. He must be made well aware of exactly with who he was dealing.

"Yes, it is, but how am I to know what agent you are..."

Annoyed by his questions, Addie interrupted him, "You know who I am and what I do. You know the type of people with I am associated. Now, you are the director of the FBI. You know the type of agents you have, and which ones of your agents would be useful to me and my line of work. I have full confidence that you are intelligent enough to figure out which one of the few agents brave enough to come into your office will be the agent I am speaking about to you."

Silence echoed on both sides: Blackwell too scared to speak and Addie simply waiting patiently for him to find his bearings.

Nothing but silence from the other end, so she finished their call, "I am a very busy woman, so I must end this very delightful phone call. I hope you know that your cooperation is very much appreciated. Goodbye, Robert."

Hanging up, she called out, "Hey, Susana. I have another assignment for you, but before that I need you to get a hold of Javier Ortiz. It is extremely important. Also, I need to you to call someone about a specific type of flower..."

Susana nodded noting every single detail of her boss's request. She was not going to mess this up because one good recommendation from Dr. Adelaide Lancaster guaranteed a job anywhere she wanted and she wanted ops. Lancaster had a reputation for hand picking teams, and Susana wanted to make sure her name was on the top of the list, "Got it. I am assuming this is off the book. No record."

Adelaide memorized the eagerness the younger woman had and sighed, "Yes. Keep it discreet. I do not want anyone knowing about this. Understood."

"Yes, ma'am. No one will know." Turning around after she started to walk away, she proclaimed, "I will send in Ortiz as soon as I locate him."

Ten minutes later, Javier sat directly in front of her. His stoic face foretold nothing. He merely listened to her commands, and like a good little soldier he obeyed them without complaint. Javier was more than aware of Addie's predicament and he cared for her enough to do all that he could to ease some of the pain, some of the worry, some of the lingering sense of disaster. He ran his eyes down her contradicting face: filled with emotion and still not giving anything away.

Javier stood up telling her, "I will do everything I can, Adelaide. I promise."

She acknowledge his loyalty with a gentle smile playing on her face but not escaping captivity, "I know you will, Javi. I know you will. Thank you."

He walked out of her office shutting her door with determination to complete what she had asked so hesitantly yet so firmly in the only she could.

Her heart hammered on her chest steadily. She slowly exhaled trying to relax her tense body. Everything had to go perfectly for everyone's sake. She cannot dress for another funeral that was not her own, and if they had their way she would be buried six feet under in the next couple of weeks.

Before her unavoidable demise, she would ensure that no one else will die. She just hoped that she warned Reid in time to keep him out of the crosshairs. He would save everyone. He always did. He was like magic that way.

* * *

><p>Reid knocked on his office door with fear settled in his rather troubled stomach. He knew there was no logical basis for his fear. He had the clearance to ask for his request, but he never did enjoying being in this part of the building: one of the many reasons why he never took any of the promotions that swung in his direction. The only time he accepted an offer led him to the situation in which he currently finds himself.<p>

"You may come in."

With the permission to enter, Reid carefully opened the door. He ambled toward a chair and parked himself in a comfortable position. He confidently addressed the man before him, "Hello, Director Blackwell. How have you been since the last time I was in this office."

Blackwell stilled. He should have known Reid would be the agent Dr. Lancaster spoke of when she mentioned it was classified. He was the one that allowed Reid to consult with other agencies using him to gain more status around his colleagues. He had a genius under his command, one of the smartest people on the planet. How could he not brag?

"Agent Reid, I have been well. Thank you for asking. Now, I know you are a busy man, so let's get right to the chase. What can I do for you?"

Reid leaned back in his seat contemplating how to approach his desired target deciding that being candid and forthright was the best option, "I need you to set up an office for me with untraceable computers. I need it to be secure and locked. I need to be the only one with keys excluding yourself of course. Most importantly I need you not to ask me why and for you to keep this to yourself."

Blackwell listened fully aware of what he was going to say. Nodding his head, he planned how he was going to execute Reid's demands. With a fully formed plan in his mind, Blackwell told Reid, "I can easily do this. Agent McCurdy retired three weeks ago and his office is still unoccupied. Seeing as he was a technical analyst, his office has plenty of up-to-date computer systems. I will have someone double their security as soon as possible."

Reid gave him a hard look. He knew this cooperation from him was too easy, but Reid could not afford to be skeptical. He accepted with grace and gratitude, "Thank you, sir."

Looking him right in the eye, Blackwell asked, "Anything else?"

Pushing his luck, Reid held his gaze and replied, "Yes. I need this office space by tomorrow, if that is not too much to ask of you, sir."

His stare intensified wanting to deny his request and defend his title. Blackwell begrudgingly agreed, "Yes, of course, Agent Reid."

Standing up, Reid thanked him for his help, bid him a good night, and shut the door behind him. He let a big breath of relief. Everything went well just like he had hoped. Now, all that was left was hoping that he had not missed the team's message.

* * *

><p>He raddled the knob keeping watch to make sure no one noticed him breaking and entering. He recognized that the young doctor was not a social but was at least well liked within his building. If someone saw him, they would defend the place and that was the last thing he needed.<p>

Bingo! The door swung open revealing the comforts of a rarely used apartment. It held dusty shelves and old books. The kitchen strongly smelled of an odd mixture of Chinese take-out and coffee, yet the odor had a homey touch welcoming him to enter.

He swept the premise for anything out of the ordinary. When he found nothing, he crept to the coffee table in the middle of the living room lovingly placing one single flower front and center. Satisfied with his handy work, he slipped out the door and into the city noise without anyone acknowledging his presence.

* * *

><p>She saw it, but she could not bring herself to believe it.<p>

He found her, and he wanted to know about their safety, her safety. She knew that her behavior was childish, but she always admired him. He was smart, kind, sweet. The fact that he had good looks did not help minimize her undesired crush.

Now, back to reality, he sent a very direct message to her, a warning of some sort. She knew that this would come back to haunt them, yet she planted it deep in the darkness of her memory. They were coming for them, picking at them one by one.

She knew of Keller's death for he was stationed here in London when he disappeared. They crossed paths once or twice since the mission, but nothing meaningful happened. He had turned cold and distant. Not that she blamed him. Her thoughts carried her away and right to the pictures of her team. Schneider's papa bear look kept them centered. The Samuel twins kept things entertaining by switching places and playing jokes. Their caramel-colored hair flopped as they laughter not just with their mouth but their whole body. Adelaide's graceful confidence led them into battle more than just prepared but self-assured and certain of the team's ability to come together. Reid, well, Reid created the prefect plans with mathematical proofs to back up every claim. He kept them logical and always thinking.

She grabbed her ID from her pocket: Manuela Ferro International Criminal Police Organization: London Office. She transferred right after that mission. A year later, Emily Prentiss showed up taking control of the office: a constant reminder of him. She spoke of her family back in the states frequently including Reid.

Apparently, she was not the only one that found him remarkable and quite unforgettable.

She looked at the two words, Saving Path, deciding that she would follow his lead. She typed in her answer hoping that would not cause their demise. She hoped Spencer Reid was everything she built him up to be. She hoped for a miracle.

* * *

><p>He called her afterward knowing that she would want to know. The phone rung three times before she answered frantically, "Please tell it is all good."<p>

Keeping his professionalism, he replied, "Yep, it is all good. Not a thing out of place. No bugs of any sort...he should be fine, but I'll come back every two days to check."

"You did exactly what I told you, right? Down to the very last detail?"

He was in the warmth of his own car, so he permitted himself to laugh, "Yes, Adelaide, to the letter. I even left the flower in the table exactly how you told me. Front and center. I know what I am doing, Addie. I am good at my job, or you would not have hired me."

She relaxed exclaiming, "Javi, I know I am not being rational but don't throw at my face. I just want to make sure he is safe. This is all my fault, so I owe him his safety."

Closing his eyes, Javier swallowed his exasperation of the situation and merely replied, "I know, and I'm here to make sure that he does have it. So, everything will be fine. Go home and get some sleep tonight. You really need it."

Adelaide chuckled, "I will, and thank you."

He was not someone who spent much time wishful thinking, but with the quiet of night, Javier Ortiz did something he usually never did...he hoped that he could in fact keep that doctor safe for her. He hoped that Adelaide Lancaster would actually sleep tonight. Most significantly, he hoped that the bastards that were doing this would rot in hell for eternity, because anyone that drove Addie to the brink of irrationality deserved that and more.

* * *

><p>Tired from being overworked, Reid just longed for a good night's sleep without the nightmares or commotion that forced him to spring into action before he realized it is nothing to worry over. Unlocking his door, Reid sensed someone had been in his apartment the moment both his feet crossed the threshold. He placed his hand over his gun and quietly inspected his apartment. When his eyes landed on the flower, he relaxed. There basking in the spotlight was a star of Bethlehem.<p>

Reid knew that Addie was never far behind but it was good to have reassurance. She had hope that all would be well, and so should he for at least her sake. His mother used to tell him that hope contained a very powerful, mystical magic. That by hoping for something you willed it into existence.

Tomorrow, when his team prepared for another case, he would sneak into the building into his new and private office. Then he would know, if all this hope was worth the effort.

The next morning as he logged into the new system, the first thing he saw were three responses. Each reply only had two words whistling with the news that they were in fact alive. Each message read...Not Me. He exhaled all of the tension he had felt for days. Now, he hoped all of his other hopes would magically become a part of reality.


	4. Two Sides of Right or Wrong

**Title: Salutarem Via**

**Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU.**

**A/N: Hello, everyone! I had hoped to have this chapter out sooner but life had other plans. I got sick, but thanks to a nice break from school I was able to catch up (this chapter is longer than original planned because of the wait). I will not be able to update soon as finals are coming up. **

**I am excited about this chapter, because we are leaving Reid behind for a little bit and focusing on someone else, though he is in the beginning. **

**Talking about other people...I am extremely happy that all of you like (some of you even love) Adelaide. She is someone I always pictured being part of Reid's life. I hope you guys take to Manny and the Samuel Twins with same enthusiasm you have been showing toward Addie. We will be seeing more of Javier and Susana but not as frequently. **

**Now let's continue...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds. That right belongs to CBS, but sometimes I dream that I do own it and make Reid less of a loner. I just think even though he was a nerd he would have had friends at some point in his life.**

**Chapter Three: Two Sides of Right or Wrong **

**"There are two sides to every story, as if that explains and justifies everything! You know what I say when someone tells me that? I say well of course there are two sides to every story and one side is wrong!"-Nikki Sex**

The sound of the plane jetting off warned Reid that he was indeed safe to enter the building. Avoiding Garcia should be easy, she parked herself in her lair and rarely left (only for emergencies). He entered through the back door of the building that usually was off limits. Considering his circumstances, Reid bet that his card would clear him. He knew that he would get a visit from Blackwell today insisting on grounding him until this mess gets cleaned up.

No one questioned his presence. No one questioned why he lurked in the building when the rest of his team had just taken off to solve some crime. No one questioned why he would have the key to a closed off office in the technical analysts wing.

Reid blended into his surroundings and observed. It was the reason why he was so good at his job. He crept up and annihilated his opponent before they were even aware that there was enemy in the room.

He grabbed the chair in the office and sat down. Soaking it all in, Reid scooted himself toward the desk and commenced working on the biggest project of his life.

* * *

><p>Susana hated the fact that she was tied to the desk. She had done everything that bitch had asked, and what happened...nothing that's what happened. She did not get a thank you or a good job or anything. She was not like those low self-esteem people that need reassurance for everything, but something to show appreciation for her effort would be nice.<p>

She knew that some of the things Lancaster was having her do was not exactly part of her job description, maybe not even exactly legal by any measure of the word. Still, Susana did all of it without even asking questions or putting a thought to her career. She could lose her job...a job that not just anyone gets. She proved herself graduating with the highest honors from Princeton with a degree in Economics. She stayed there to get her Masters in Public Policy.

She went to a good school showing the government of her worth, and she was rewarded with a prestigious job offer working for one of the smartest women in the country if not the planet. She could do mental math and statistical analysis to outdo the enemy, yet all she did was sit on her butt answering calls from bureaucrats and politicians.

This was not what she had in mind when she turned down the offer to work for a high paying consulting agency to accept this government job.

She typed away searching for the purpose of all of this when the phone rang. She sighed picking it up with a frustration surging through her. "This is Hand from Lancaster's office."

A rather soothing but frighteningly calm voice crawled out of the ear piece, "Well, Hand, I am not looking for Lancaster. I think the person I am looking for is you..."

* * *

><p>The alarm warned her that the day ahead was bound to unfortunate events and high blood pressure. She discovered something beyond her reach placing her in undesired circumstances.<p>

What was she suppose to do with this? How was she to use this information to her benefit? Most importantly, how was she going to keep this quiet?

She could not afford anyone finding out this information. She, herself, was not suppose to be snooping around this, yet she did. She knew she should not, but she did. Now, her life was endangered because of her stupidity. She stared at the screen, the alarm still ringing. She had three minutes to contemplate her next move before her boss would come and investigate the beeping.

God, she cannot tell her the truth about the tracer, but lying to her boss (a boss she liked very much) was not something she wanted to do. She weighed her options making a list of pros and cons as she heavily sighed. There was no good choice in her future, just a bad choice with a worse choice. It was perfectly clear what she had to do, although knowing that did not make it any easier for her.

The clicking of her heels grew closer and she knew her time was up. She pictured Reid hunched over a computer risking everything he had worked his whole life for just to protect them from any future danger and the decision become easier.

He sent her the warning, so she should not be surprised by the alarm she has been listening to for the past five minutes.

Knocking on her door ended her thoughts.

Her lips parted, "Come on in."

A woman walked in say, "Hey, Manny. Is there something on radar? You have something being traced that has become relevant or is it nothing?"

Manny glared at her screen one last time before spinning her chair to face her boss. Lying to her, she said, "No...no, nothing of importance as of yet. If it changes, you will be the first to know."

She gave her a stern smile advertising her position over Manny, "Good. I want to be well informed over your transactions. I know your history and you are a good agent, maybe one of the best this office has seen in a while, but I also know what that has cost you. I just want to make sure you are not in over your head."

Manny closed her eyes thinking of all the things wrong with that sentence. She proceeded to respond in a rather neutral tone, "Emily, I know when an agent is in over their heads. That used to be part of my job description. I am more the equipped to handle this, Emily."

Emily showed a genuine grin at the saucy reply, "I am the head of this office. If you wanted to be in charge of yourself, you should have accepted that job in Italy instead of transferring to London. It is part of my job description to make sure everything here runs smoothly. I cannot do that if you are causing unnecessary trouble of which I am not aware. I know your are extremely capable, but that does not mean I do not worry for you."

Manny's smile sparkled with gratitude, "Thanks for caring, Prentiss, but I can handle this."

Emily nodded, "Okay...okay. I will leave you to it." She walked out of the door into her office twenty steps away.

Manny's worried-fill expression returned. She was going to die soon. She was all too aware of that fact, but she could still get this information to Reid. She could not just call Lancaster up, but Reid sent her the warning. He knew about Tom and probably about Schneider too. He was too late to save her, but she was not too late to save him.

* * *

><p>Pictures covered the wall, some in black and white while others were in vivid color. All of them had one thing in common. They were all surveillance photos of the team. Some were big and others were smaller, but in the middle of the wall, there was a line of photographs of every single member: three of those images had x's on them. Five of them were still intact.<p>

A large man sat across a table. He peeked at a thinner man staring at the mural created from his efforts. He needed to find a moment where each of them where at their most vulnerable. He knew where most of them were...the beautiful brunette did nothing to hide from them. One of the twins was completely off the grid but the other should not be a problem to locate. One worked for the FBI and was always on the go, never in one place long enough to catch him. He would be difficult. The last one was somewhere in intelligence, but they could not find her. They knew she worked for Interpol, though that was it.

As long as that team of uncivilized bastards did not know where they were and what they were doing, they should not be a disturbance that could not be kept under control. The other three just were too noisy. They had to be eliminated.

The large man broke the silence, "What are your trying to find? They're just pictures."

"I know. There is something here that we are missing. I am sure of it. I just need to find out what it is. They are smart and well trained. They must know more than they are letting on."

Just as the smaller man stepped further to better examine the wall, the phone rang. The bigger man reached for it to answer, "Hello...yes, sir...no, sir...I think Adil and Nolan are in control in that area...We will keep a tighter eye on them...Yes, sir...Of course, sir...We will."

The smaller man turned around in the middle of the conversation. Staring straight at the larger man sitting, he questioned, "What did he want, Jonas?"

The larger man looked him in the eye worried filled in the blue irises. He told him the truth, "We have a problem, Hasim. A very big problem on the other side of the ocean."

Hasim waited for him to continue and when he did not he impatiently exclaimed, "What's the problem, Jonas?"

He sheepishly said, "We found the other one...the one working for Interpol. She's in London."

* * *

><p>Javier worked as part of the special forces in the Army. Being a Ranger gave him a certain set of skills that made him desirable in very specific and powerful circles. He had his pick of jobs, but the moment he met Adelaide, he knew this was the job he wanted. She was a good person doing honest work. Smart and dedicated, Adelaide Lancaster lived a dignified life willing to sacrifice what is needed to do the right thing for the world.<p>

He knocked on her door announcing, "Hey, you asked to see me, Adelaide...wow, someone looks nice, too nice for a night in the office."

Dressed in finery, Adelaide spun to face Javier. Her hair was curled and swept up in a spectacular bun allowing shiny drop earrings to be visible. The dress reached the floor and flowed in green satin waves matching her eyes. Clicking on the floor broadcasted the very expensive silver Louboutins that adorned her delicate feet. Her well manicured hands stretched out to touch files on her desks, a dazzling smile on her beautifully made up face.

She proceeded to interact with Javier by handing him the files and saying, "Why, thank you. That is extremely kind of you to say. I have a fancy dinner party hosted by a bunch of rich and powerful families and government officials, and yes, I did ask for you. I have something I need you to do. You need to get on a plane and head to London. There has been a development to Operation Casurus. Manula Ferro kept digging even though I warned her not to do that. You have to go to her office and pick her up for protection. She transferred over to Interpol's London office."

Javier stood tall taking everything in that Adelaide told him. When he took this job, she specifically notified him of the dangers that this post could lead. She held him in esteem high enough to let him in her little secret, one of the country's best kept secrets. He admired her compassion for others yet her ability to be able to compartmentalize that kindness into productivity. She had a strength to her he had not seen in a while from someone in her position. She could be the greatest friend and just as easily be the scariest enemy for anyone.

He nodded, "I will be on a plane in an hour."

She sighed her gratitude, "Thank you."

Javier began to exit the office when he turned around wishing, "Have fun with your boring bureaucrats and your parents, of course."

As he walked away, Adelaide slowly glided into her desk chair. With her hands over her face, she finally permitted herself to cry. If Manny died, it was on her and only on her.

* * *

><p>Manuela tilted her head to see what was behind her. Since Reid's warning and her own findings, she had been counting down the days until it would be done. There was no escaping her death. All she could hope for is that the end would come fast and be painless for her. She hoped that the information she found would help solve the problem and save everyone that was left.<p>

Reid's soft eyes and welcoming smile appeared in her imagination as determination to finish this war materialized somewhere within her. She may die, but at least she will save him and he will the rest of the team. Together, they will save everyone.

She walked down the London sidewalk toward her car. Files in hand, she knew Lancaster would send someone for her. She left copies in her desks drawer, and whomever Adelaide sent will need Emily's permission into her office to get them.

Emily would drop everything to help Reid, and he was going to need all the help he could get. Adelaide will not like her involvement, but Manny knew that Reid was slowly dissolving for the inside waiting for Lancaster to give him the thumbs up to tell his team.

Well, she may not be Addie, but she was giving him the permission he needed.

* * *

><p>Quinn moved from one cabin to another. His brother had been right, and there had been no need to panic for his safety at least not as of yet. The call lasted eight minutes. Two minutes to spare before all hell broke loose. He still moved in case.<p>

He had three properties he interchanged between for precaution. Until now, he had never been so glad for his paranoia. He wanted to call Coby to check up on him, but he could afford to put his brother and himself in anymore danger.

Looking at the equipment he invented himself, he put himself to work. He knew that with his brother working for the private sector now allowed Coby to be a more likely target than the others. It was simpler to get to him than it would be to kill off any of the others.

Typing with ferocity, he needed to become well-informed as he had been out of the loop for too long. Sending an encrypted message to the IP address the warning came from, he tagged it so Reid knew to was sent by him and no one else.

He had to prepare his battle armor, because no one was going to die. If he had anything to do with it, they will all live to a very old age.

* * *

><p>Jonas followed him with his eyes, left to right back to left again. He kept staring until dizziness got a hold of him, "Stop with the pacing. Seriously, Hasim, you are making me nauseous."<p>

The dirty look in his glare made Jonas straighten up in his seat, "You should be nauseous. Someone knows who we are. They have information, new information, updated information. I don't trust the idiot Adil to take care of it, and Nolan is not one to stick his hands in the mud like the rest of us."

Jonas glanced at the wall covered in pictures. He did not think it was a big deal and he voiced his opinion, "I don't see what the fuss is. Look at her. She's kind of smaller than an agent should be, and sure, she's smart and tough-looking. But can she really throw a punch hard enough to knock-out Adil."

The thinner man twisted his body to see the pictures. Painting a disturbed smile on his expression, he said, "Looks can be deceiving, Jonas. She is a well-trained operative with much experience in the field. She has killed before, and by the looks of her nose can take a beating. She may not look like much, but she is a thrown on our side that the boss wants removed. She was trying to stop us from doing the right thing by us and the Via. I am just mad that I won't be the one to remove it, and bring peace to us and the world again"

Jonas relaxed in his chair once again deciding that listening Hasim talk was not worth the anxiety. All of them hated the team that almost brought down their organization, but this will end like it did the first time with the death of one of their own.

* * *

><p>Susana called the number that the man had given her. The ringing of the other side created a nervous energy surging through her.<p>

"State your full name and agency."

Susana sweated her anxiety out, and mustered up as much calm and cool confidence to be able to answer the robotic voice correctly, "This is Susana Macy Hand from the State Department and Department of Defense."

A smooth and swoon-worthy voice replaced the robot, "Hello, Hand, I knew you would call."

* * *

><p>The music sang delightfully, yet Adelaide corned herself with her family far away. Minutes ago, she had received word that Ortiz not only got a plane but a jet that could cut travel time in half. She hoped that were enough just as much as she wished that they had never been involved in the first place.<p>

Voices blurred into one another except one, "Hey, you seem busy and preoccupied for a party. You should really have some fun."

Her gaze kept on her phone...

On a jet should be there in three hours.

She moved her eyes to face the voice, "When do I ever party, Dash?"

Dashiell dressed to the nines in a suit. He closely watched his younger sister and decided what he needed to tell her. Leaning really close, he whispered, "I heard about the bombings. Does Spencer know about them? If he doesn't, keep it that way. I don't want him to know."

She sighed, "He knows. His team was assigned to the bombings, and Reid was able to give a valid profile without giving too much information. He was not pleased at the idea of leading his team astray with outdated statistics, but he is good at his job. It's the first time in a long time that the BAU's number one team did not catch their man. Last time was before he joined the team, I think."

Dashiell laughed quietly, "That kid is something else. I knew the moment I met him he was going to do something remarkable."

Stiffening because of her surroundings, Adelaide whipped her head to see a man approaching them. Using his sister as a mark, Dashiell sized up the approaching man: tall, about his own age, handsome enough, and by his clothes-rich.

A grey suit clouded the view from the rest of the room, and that man started speaking, "Well, if it isn't two famous geniuses that like to work for the government, and one of you is quite the looker."

Dashiell smiled, "Why, that is awfully nice of you to say especially considering that my sister is one most people would consider pretty gifted in that particular department."

The unnamed man chuckled, "I was referring to your sister." He sat down next to her completely ignoring Dashiell. He continued, "I just wanted to ask you to dance."

Adelaide gave her most coy smile, "I don't dance with strangers."

He laughed hardily, "Well, in that case...Stefan Hugo Stafford, at your service, Dr. Lancaster."

She observed him for a few seconds before addressing, "I heard of you before...you are quite the genius too, if rumors hold any truth."

Dashiell looked at her with awe in his expression.

Stafford stood up and gave her his hand, "So, how about that dance?"

* * *

><p>A piece of candy wrapper hit the dashboard as the man sat in the car. Windows down and radio silent, he watched a building with intensity. His phone vibrated with a text giving him instructions.<p>

He called out to the man sleeping in the backseat, "Hey, Adil. It's time to go."

A big, strong man crept up from the seat with a deadly look in his eye, "Finally, I have been so bored. Where is the target? And Nolan, this better be a good one."

Nolan grinned sideways, "Target is right over there." He pointed out the window, and there was a woman five foot six, dark hair and a crooked nose glancing over her shoulder.


	5. Sweating, Uniting, Struggling

**Title: Salutarem Via**

**Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BAU.**

**A/N: So, this chapter has zero Reid. I hope all of you deal with it better than me, because I sure had a mental breakdown. **

**Anyway, this chapter focuses on the team more specifically Hotch and Rossi and their suspicions about Reid's unusual behavior, though we will see Javier, Manny, and the Samuel Twins. I do want to apologize ahead of time, because I am not the best when it comes to case writing. I will try my best, but I will keep it to a minimum just for that reason.**

**Sidenote about the last chapter: Nikki Sex is an author and the quote I used came from one of her books. Though I have not personally read any of her work, I particularly like that quote and thought it fit with the chapter. I know someone asked about it, so I thought this would help. **

**Remember I have no Beta, so if you see a mistake let me know. Other than that enjoy and please review. They really do encourage me and help me get over my writing slumps faster. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds or any of those characters. I will try to do them justice, though in my opinion the writing staff on the show does not do a good job of it either. Also, any of the unsubs both from the case in this episode or of the bigger case of the story are all fictional, and if there are any similarities to any real people it is merely coincidence. **

**Chapter Four: Sweating, Uniting, ****Struggling**

**"It's when we start working together that the real healing takes place...it's when we start spilling sweat, and not our blood."-David Hume**

It felt wrong to be on the jet without Reid, but he needed a break from all of this chaos. Hotch knew he came back to the field way too early. He needed more time to heal physically and emotionally. He just seemed so entirely fine for the first few weeks that he never a need to give a second thought about his health until recently.

There had been a change, one he could not pinpoint exactly. He simply noticed there was a new sense of anxiety hovering over the genius that was not there before the last two weeks or so. Something happened that he had not shared with anyone, and that worried Hotch more than anything else about this scenario.

Reid always kept things bottled up until he exploded all over them with everything still hot and raging as if the event all happened yesterday. To say that he was worried was accurate. To say he was scared was an understatement. He was terrified of the day it would occur, because this bomb has its days number before he goes off. An angry Reid was the most frightening thing Hotch had ever seen. Everyone assumed Hotch was the scary one because everyone ignored Reid. He blended into the walls, yet the moment Hotch needed him Reid would step up in ways no one else could especially in the last few years.

Something changed, and now it had been changing again. It just was not as positive as the first time.

Garcia's voice shoved Hotch out of his head and helped him land on his feet in the current reality, "Well, we know that the first family lived around the border of Indiana and the second and third families lived in the south side of Chicago. All three of the families had relatively decent lives. No arrests or cheating allegations, but I'll keep digging."

Morgan thanked Garcia as she logged off from the computer. He looked to Hotch for directions for when they land in Chicago.

He did not notice Hotch's mind speeding away from the case into something bigger. One of their own was in trouble and he was not trusting the team with whatever secret that had been haunting him. It was Emily and JJ all over again. He simply wished that this one ended with just as happy ending as the last two did...with no one dying.

Rossi knew that glint in his eye. Hotch was over-thinking something, and if he knew anything about this team, Hotch currently contemplated Reid. They were going to have a long and patient conversation about the genius as no one else seemed to care.

Hotch spoke, "Morgan, I want you to drive to see the crime scene in Indiana, the Cain residence. Get all of the information from the local police and send it over to Chicago. We will be working from there. Glover, you take the scene in the McDonald's house. Dave, I want you to go to the Ryan's home. JJ, you and I will go to the station. We need you to start interviewing the families of all the victims as soon as possible. Each murder happened one week apart which means we have three days until he kills again. We have to find a connection as soon as possible."

Ending his speech with those words, Rossi stopped to analysis what Hotch said. Did he mean the connection between the victims or the connection he needed to make to understand Reid's out of character behavior. Either one, Rossi was sure they would find them.

* * *

><p>He peeked through glass to see nothing but the fogginess of clouds. Settling back into his seat, he planned out his next move. He knew that he had merely half an hour to locate her and bring on broad with him, so they could head out before anything exciting could occur.<p>

He most definitely did not want to deliver bad news to Addie at a time like this.

The pilot voiced out, "We will be landing in about ten minutes. Please fasten your seat belts."

Those minutes were kept in silence until the pilot left the cockpit to confront the passenger saying, "We're here, Ortiz. You owe me after this. I could lose my job."

Getting up from his seat, Javier gave him a smile and proclaimed, "If everything goes as I planned it. You won't be losing anything, but sure I owe you big time."

He walked out of the jet and into the hard part of Addie's favor. Soaking in his surroundings, he realized that he might not be able to do this despite his skill set.

He whispered to himself, "You have to do this quickly and efficiently. Anything else will lead to a dead girl and a very disappointed Adelaide. You will not be able to live that down...it could also lead to your own death which would also not be good. No news is bad news in this profession. God, this is going to be a lot more difficult than I originally expected."

* * *

><p>A squeal sprang from her mouth, "Daddy, help me! Mama! Mama!"<p>

The young girl kept screaming for her parents placed directly in front of their crying daughter being dragged away. Tears poured down their cheeks as the realization that their daughter was going to die without them being able to do anything.

"Please don't hurt her...please," spoke a voice with little life. The man pleaded through the desperation sparkling in his eyes.

His little girl was dragged and her parents watched knowing that that was the last time they were going to see their daughter. Looking at his wife for forgiveness for failing their family, he saw fear and death as his wife was murdered.

There was pain and then darkness.

* * *

><p>Slamming the door behind him, Blackwell huffed all about Reid. "That arrogant son of a bitch thinks he can just decide to ignore me. What because he's sleeping with that Lancaster chick for god knows how long. He better not think he has some special commodity over her. She has been spreading her legs for anyone and everyone that could help her climb up the ladder."<p>

He paused immediately after insulting Lancaster distressed that she may have heard that in some way. He could not afford to alienate her right now. She held that genius in her hands, and he needed him to say with the bureau for a little bit longer until he established himself.

He neatly placed himself in front of his wooden desk. He contemplated how he was going to shift this situation to benefit him somehow. He was not going to lose this battle to some profiler especially not some genius kid getting help from that pretty little thing.

No, he was going to use this for his advantage. Just because he already made director of the bureau, does not mean there was nothing else to look forward to with pleasure. Reid may not want to go under protective custody. He may not want be put out of the field, but he will show him who is unmistakably the boss around here. It will not be a skinny, little know-it-all.

* * *

><p>Hotch sat by himself in the corner. He wanted to spend a minute in the quiet away from the craziness from the case, away from the prying eyes of his team. Not that he had much to agonize over when it came to them. Only Rossi seemed to catch Reid's unusual actions.<p>

Well, at least, he was the only that saw the severity of it all. The rest of the team thought he was simply acting out like some kid in a tantrum that did not get his way. Hotch shook his head with his mouth wide open. He could not believe that after everything that they have survived together they could merely dismiss Reid. He may be the youngest on the team, but he was not an overgrown child prodigy that just stumbled his way out of diapers into a world full of murder and misery.

A knock interrupted his process. He answered, "Come in."

Morgan poked his head into the office. With a frown and wrinkles on his forehead, Morgan stepped inside. Heaviness accompanied him into the small space. Hotch knew Morgan carried bad news with him, and before Morgan could announce it, Hotch said, "There has been another family found has there?"

Morgan nodded his head, "Yeah, Rossi and Glover went to check out the scene."

Hotch recognized the tension getting up from his seat, "Okay, good. There has been an acceleration between the kills. This may be a sign of devolution or the beginnings of a spree. Have JJ call the next of kin. Maybe this family could be the break we need to find the connection before another family dies."

Morgan replied, "Already on it, Hotch." He walked out leaving Hotch alone thinking of Reid once more. He could not help but admit that what they needed to find this unsub was Reid.

He did not linger on the thought for much longer. They have a case that needed solving. Reid may be a member of his team, his family, but he had his priorities and right now finding a this killer came before discovering what Reid was up to nowadays.

* * *

><p>She felt the linger of a pair of eyes. She felt it minutes ago. Someone was watching her intensely waiting for her to let her guard down long enough for them to attack without much of a struggle. Closing her eyes, she walked calmly. Strategizing, her mind wandered to all the possibilities.<p>

Her heart hammered her chest as a voice sang into her ear, "Keep moving. I saw a car not too far from here watching you, Manny."

Peeking through the collar of her coat, she saw a tall man with olive skin and a thin scar near his lips that was only visible because of the closeness of their bodies. His hands slid to her waist and guided her away from her car further down the street toward a bus. His head covered hers.

He paid their tickets with a charming grin and a perfect English accent. He called her dear and whispered in her ear so effortlessly she began to believe their relationship. Settling into their seats, he looked at her. Dark and honest eyes stared at her face.

His voice broke the spellbound silence, "Name's Ortiz. Lancaster sent me to get you back to the states as soon as possible."

Manny responded, "Of course, she did. Well, Ortiz, I have a job here. I can't just drop everything. I know the most logical thing to do is leave with you, but I can't just disappear. My boss already thinks something's up with me. If I just leave...well, our secret won't be so secret anymore."

Ortiz's laughed, "I know, so get your stuff ready. Addie asked me to bring you to the States, so you better believe I am not leaving this country without you, and I want to be out of here as soon as humanly possible."

Manny's eyes popped out of her face. Why do men, good men at that, fall at her feet with undying loyalty? What makes Addie so damn likable that so many people are willing to die for her? She searched through her memories for an answer.

Addie was beautiful and smart, a lethal combination where Manny was concerned. She was also intimidating and confident, but most importantly she cared. She laughed and cried with you. She listened and carried your burdens easing your pain while adding to her own. She cared enough to keep tabs on her despite her limited favors for this particular case, cared enough to fly someone out here to come get her. People are willing to die for her, because they all know that she would do everything in her power to make sure no one has to die at all. They are willing because they know she would do the same, not only would she be willing to die in their place but that she preferred it.

She chuckled, "God, where does Addie find all of you?"

Javier shifted in his seat to have his eyes line up with hers, "She doesn't find us. We find her, because let's be frank...in this line of work, it's best to work for the honest and compassionate then the ambitious and cunning. Addie is one of like five people I have met that fits that bill. It is honor to work for her."

Her mouth formed a small round shape just to break into a mischievous grin, "Yeah, she really is something, isn't she?"

Javier sighed, "Yeah, she is, so we best not disappoint her. You know of a safe place we could go to for you to get your stuff ready before we head on out?"

Looking out the window, she responded, "Yeah, I might have somewhere we could lay low for a few hours. Is that enough time for you to find a plane to take us to the US in that amount of time?"

Laughing out loud, Ortiz exclaimed, "Sweetheart, do you even know Addie? When does she ever leave you hanging?"

The bus stopped, and people transferred in and out. Manny freely let her mind wonder to what she knew, what she had in her hand. Tonight, she would seal her fate. All that was left was for to decided which of the team members alive would join her in the graveyard.

* * *

><p>She no longer walked the streets alone as a man approached her.<p>

Calculating the possibilities of coming out of it clean, Nolan stopped Adil from stepping out of the car. Puffing air out, Adil glared over at Nolan grunting about the missed opportunity this was and how they were never going to get another one with this target. He agreed, but the man that sneaked behind her appeared to know her. He looked big and strong. Between her and him, they could take Adil as he had not planned to help with the assignment.

Nolan smiled, "Don't worry. She will come back tomorrow. We will take her then. Problem solved."

Expressing dissatisfaction, Adil's glare heated up with hatred, "You better hope it's that easy. You know he won't be happy, if this one gets away. I will be the least of your worries, especially as I can just get into a bar fight, if I need some release."

Pulling the car away from the curb, sweat covered Nolan's forehead. Attempting to settle his stomach, he ordered Adil to call the team stationed in DC, "Call Jonas or Hasim. They are going to need to know what is going on."

Pulling out his cell phone, Adil begrudgingly dialed the number and heard a voice as the otherside picked up their phone.

* * *

><p>Just as they had hoped, the Arnold residence contained the evidence needed to minimize the suspect pool into something more manageable. With Glover interviewing one suspect and Morgan the other, Rossi found himself drinking a cup of coffee.<p>

Both JJ and Hotch were meeting with family and friends, as he was meant to be going over the evidence with the police in all the different districts to build the case behind the pair of siblings responsible for all of the damage caused. It was an open and shut case. While most of the time districts hate cooperating with each other, the nature of this case alleviated most of the hesitation to help.

Janice and Matthew Trewer killed four families for a total of seventeen people murdered. The mother from the McDonald family was five months along with their third child when they were attacked. Angry because of their family situation, they murdered any family resembling their own(two working parents and a sibling set of one son and one daughter) starting with the children and ending with the mother.

Confession or no confession, these two sickos were going away for a long time.

With no politics between the districts, the situation left Rossi with nothing but time on his hands, time and his thoughts. Right now, his mind wondered to Reid.

Something was most definitely going on with the kid. He knew the team detected something off, but their speculation remained superficially. Hotch, on the other hand, seemed more enthralled in anything and everything but the case at hand. No one else noted Hotch being distracted, though Rossi knew Reid would have caught the unusual behavior.

Growing distant and jumpy, something was scaring Reid to death. Something big enough to have him avoid going out with the team even cancelling a day out with Henry. No one more important than Henry existed in Reid's life.

Rossi saw Hotch finish his last interview with the mother of one of the victims. He gave Hotch a look warning Hotch of the conversation they would be having later. He nodded letting Rossi know he understood the implications of his stare. Together, Rossi and Hotch were going to find a way to help their youngster trust the team (or at least the two of them) long enough to discover the truth.

* * *

><p>Waiting had never been a strong suit for him. Always impatient and impulsive, Coby held all of those other characteristics: the levelheadedness, the rationality. He always acted too quickly, never thinking anything through until he fell flat on his face.<p>

This could not be one of those times. He needed to get this perfectly right. He sent the message, and now he had to wait for his response. Wait to see if he would get a response. Nothing like that was guaranteed currently.

He so wanted to call Coby for advice. He yearned for his solid reasoning. They both may be computer geniuses, but Coby has a more structured and realistic approach to life. Something Quinn desperately desired in his hollowed out existence.

He could call, but that would compromise another location which would leave him with only one untouched cabin. They may need these later, if they had to go on the run.

Reid was smart. He may be unexperienced with hacking and computers in general, but he was observant and had an eidetic memory. Working with him was like being on a whole other level in a completely different world. He picked up things ungodly fast making everyone else look stupid. What he lacked in experience, he made up for in pure intelligence and raw talent. Something he had for anything he really wanted to do. He knew Reid made a mental note of everything he saw them do. Not to mention, he had been working with a first-class hacker for a decade now. Reid should be fine with the whole message thing.

That was not the problem that plagued Quinn's worries. No, the problem was someone else decoding the message before Reid even had the chance to uncover it's existence in the cyber world.

* * *

><p>Jonas sat patiently for Hasim to fizzle out.<p>

"Can you believe those idiots. If she sends that information out to any of the other members, we will not be able to thrive for much longer. If we cannot exist under the scrutiny of those five bastards, then how on earth are we suppose to deliver the world into greatness? How are we to purify this world of sin when we cannot eliminate the threats we have now?"

Hasim paced through the room as he spewed his speech.

Jonas was to answer his questions, but Hasim butted in before a word left Jonas's lips, "We must work together to achieve anything in this world. If she sends that information, they will unit and destroy us all. Well, we will also work together. We will wait until she sends it, and we will terminate that member before he or she gets to the others."

Perking up, Jonas suggested, "You think she will only send it to one other member. The rest are right here in the United States. We can easily eliminate that other person, but you sound like you are positive that she will fly out here."

Hasim stopped pacing to look at the mural of pictures. Staring straight at Manuela's photograph, Hasim replied, "She will, and when she arrives, we will kill her then and anyone else trying to stop us from saving humanity."

* * *

><p>Downloading all of the information to her computer, Manuela struggled to decide who to send all of this information. Whomever it was would be condemned to death joining her.<p>

Javier's snores broke the string of silence. Gazing over he shoulder, she knew that she should send this to Adelaide but she could not force herself to make that call. She sent Ortiz for her. Anyone who did that was not going to die by her hand. Reid was completely out of the question. That left the twins. The predicament was to which one she should send it.

Quinn has better survival skills. More adept for this line of work, he showed promise as an agent beyond the scope of an analyst. Coby, on the other hand, was a stronger bet. He was the more logical one. While Quinn had good gut reactions, Coby reasoned more rapidly. He thought through things, worked out possibilities before making a decision. Quinn would not do that. He simply would jump in head first before looking. Coby would not only look, but he would map out everything.

Swiftly sending the information, she deleted everything from the hard drive. Swallowing down the bile creeping up he throat, she woke Javier up. "Hey, let's go. I'm all done here."

Jumping from the couch, he pulled a cell from his pocket and set a quick text before turning to her with a smile. The phone vibrated in response. Javier glanced at it and said, "Plane's ready. We'll take off as soon as we get there."

She nodded hoping that one day both Quinn and Coby could forgive her.

Thirty minutes later, they were on a plane headed for DC. Seated by the window away from Javier, she knew that her days were numbered despite Addie trying to save her. With her disappearance, Emily's involvement just became unavoidable. Her absence would be felt, and Emily being already suspicious, her office would be searched. Emily would find the file, and she would fly out to Quantico. She would confront Reid. Though not happening like she originally planned, Manny could rest a little easier knowing that Reid will eventually have no choice but tell his team.

They would help him live long enough to catch the bastards behind all of this.

* * *

><p>Morgan hugged Garcia as the stepped onto the elevator. JJ and Glover left ten minutes before them. Henry caught a bug while they were on the case and Will was working a murder of his own with MPD. Glover's wife was not adapting to his longer hours very well, so any time not spent on a case he was with her trying to appease her resentment toward the job.<p>

With them gone, Rossi grabbed a bottle of scotch and two glasses. He headed for Hotch's office truly worried where this conversation was going to go. Reid deviated from everything he should personify. If together they could not get an accurate profile of him, how on earth were they suppose to know what was wrong? How were they suppose to confront him?

Hotch's door was wide open as he waited for him inside. Rossi silently closed the door and ambled his way to the chair where he would find himself in times of trouble. Not one of them wanted to start the conversation, but they both knew it was no longer something that could be ignored.

Being brave, Rossi started, "Well, who knew Reid was going to be trouble?"

Hotch gave a hard laugh, "You did. I could see it all over your face. You never thought Reid was a normal profile. You noticed things, because you could observe him more objectively than the rest of us. You haven't known him as long."

Rossi poured the two glasses and pushed one toward Hotch saying, "Look, all I know is this...Spencer is not some nerdy kid who simply knows statistics to make our lives easier. He's not just some human computer. He is an agent of the bureau. He has suffered tremendously at the hands of awful people. He has killed. He is not someone should be easily profiled even by us."

Gulping down all of the scotch, Hotch exclaimed, "I know. I know. I just did not realize how complacent we have become with one another. We are forgetting to not judge a book by its cover when it comes to us. I don't know what do, Dave. I know something is happening, but I don't know what or for how long. How could I have missed this?"

With the glass in his hand circling, Rossi searched for a way to comfort his friend. He settled for the least painful version of the truth, "Look, Aaron, there is no simple answer for this. For all we know, Reid did not want us to know. We may be profilers, but someone can still lie to us especially someone with the experiences Reid has had. A genius trained by the FBI under Gideon's wing, he should have no problem out profiling us."

Pushing his back into the chair, he closed his eyes and reported some of his fears, "I know that, but I can't go trough this again. The lies, the politics, the aftermath is just too much for me. What if whatever is bothering him leads to another situation like Emily's or JJ's? What if it leads to something worse? What if he dies because he could not trust us with it?"

Rossi leaned forward holding Hotch's gaze. He answered the question with the only way he knew how, "I don't know about all those what ifs, but I do know that we will try our best to keep him safe anyway we can. Besides, something tells me there is more to this story than we know. If I'm right, Reid may not be as alone as you think."

Hotch hoped for dear life that he was indeed right not knowing that Rossi was trying to convince himself of the very same thing.

* * *

><p>Working for a security company was not exactly what Coby had in mind when he was younger, but this was much better than all of his other options. He refused to work in the intelligence game again. He threw out his ticket for that when the government screwed them over. He could have gone with his brother underground, but he would not have survived. He needed to be in civilization.<p>

He also thought running away from the world did not solve anything. It was irrational and unnecessary. He rather confront his fears head on than to hide away in the trees. Quinn was never one to think beyond the present. That was his job. He ground Quinn when he got carried away and Quinn encouraged him to go beyond the known and have adventures.

Boston was not too far from DC. He could secretly meet up with Reid or Addie and find a way to fix this, to fight this, to make it all go away.

He did not know that the answer was being sent to him.

When his phone buzzed announcing an email, his universe collapsed in on itself. When he opened it without knowing the consequences, he waved goodbye to his well-adjusted life in Boston. When he saw that it was from Manuela Ferro from Interpol, he realized his mistake. Manny just signed his death warrant, yet as he read through all the files he came to understand why she willing ended his life. She was going down with him, and with their death sentences, they could save the rest of them.

Together, they could finish this war before it honestly began its bloodshed.


	6. Holding on by Threads

**Title: Salutarem Via**

**Summary: After an international mission comes into light, Reid has to face the fact that his team will now need to know one of his biggest secrets: his life way from the BA****U. **

**A/N: Merry Christmas, Friends! Break has done wonders for my free time, so expect more frequent updates for the next month (though this was suppose to be up like two days ago, life really does hate me). I should be able to update with two more chapters before classes resume for the spring semester. If all goes as plan, Reid should pop up before my schedule gets all chaotic once more. **

**Nothing much more to announce other than this...We finally meet Eloise in this chapter. Yay! I really like her. She is smart, wise and kind like an older sister should be. She is also a mother meaning she is definitely a worrywart. There is more of Hotch and Rossi talking about their worries and other stuff. **

**So, let's get straight to it. Read and enjoy. Please review! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Criminal Minds, though I have wished very hard. I just really want my own personal Matthew Gray Gubler in Reid's sweaters and ties. Is that too much to ask? **

**Chapter Five: Holding on by Threads **

**"Every mental act is composed of doubt and belief, but it is belief that is the positive, it is belief that sustains thought and holds the world together."-Soren Kierkegaard **

Quinn sat patiently on his wooden chair. He waited for the response that would launch him into action. He needed to be reassured of his plan, but he had been waiting for Reid to check on him for the last couple days and nothing.

He knew that a quick response may not happen, yet he believed that given the circumstances Reid may label it with the highest priority. He hoped it would be more important than anything else that may be going on in Reid's life including his job. He acknowledged the selfishness in that thought. He embraced it without hesitation or remorse especially when it came to this. Selfishness meant survival. It meant that he lived for another day, that his brother lived another day.

Switching from his anger at Reid to his apprehension over his brother, Quinn left to check on him. His fingers danced on his keyboard gracefully and rapidly. He looked for a way to communicate with Coby without being overheard, without the anxiety of being caught.

With each passing day, he grew more worry for the well-being of everyone. He could not lose any of them. They were the closest thing to family that he had. Parents dead along with his romantic life. Coby and the rest of this team were everything to him.

Frantically typing, Quinn's stomach churned with the strongest altruistic need: to keep his family alive at any and all costs. Sending another encryption only his brother could understand, the beating of his heart began to slow long enough to relax the tension gripping his upper body. His breathe went from fast and shallow to long and deep.

Reid had not responded, and he could not wait for much longer. Something happened of that he had no doubt. Belief kept everything together, and Quinn's doubt doubled in strength. His world slipped slowly into a darkness he could not escape. Everything barely held together.

Despite the stupidity, he ignored all his instincts that had kept him alive all these years. He needed to get out of the safety and right into the line of fire.

But first thing's first, he could not act out his plan without his brother knowing about it. He had to send a quick message to let him know. Swinging his body toward his screen, he picked up where he left before finishing it off and sending the message off to his brother.

* * *

><p>Sitting across her husband, Eloise placed herself at the party. She talked. She danced. She charmed everyone she met...an art she mastered when she was a teenager. They all had.<p>

That did not stop from Adelaide falling short this particular time. She knew her sister had a lot more going on then she allowed herself to admit, but Addie had always been well-mannered, witty, and social. Something she was not at all the other night.

She cornered herself away from the crowd. She mingled enough to avoid stern looks from their parents and the gossip from the bored wives of rich politicians and businessmen. They spoke briefly. She asked for a favor. She was about to decline when Addie mentioned that the medication was for Reid. He had been shot saving a friend of his, almost died because of it. The pain was becoming a distraction for him, and she knew that with his past addiction problem pills stronger than ibuprofen were out of the question, yet ibuprofen was no longer working for him.

That did not surprise her. Reid attracted trouble.

If Reid contacted Adelaide, something big occurred not that long ago, something she did not wish to share with her or anyone. Looking at her husband reading the newspaper, Eloise doubled back. She told someone. No one could live in mistrust their whole lives. She told the one person she trusted above all others, the person she knew she could tell anything and everything without being judged or looked down upon. She told Spencer.

The man shifted in his seat moving his head to have his wife in full view, "Hey, love. What on earth is going through your head right now? Zeta functions? The cure for cancer? Something equally smart and difficult?"

His gentle laugh brought Eloise out of her head. She responded, "Neither. I never understood zeta functions. I always thought they were boring. That was something Dash did when he had nothing better to do. He wrapped Adds into them once she was old enough to comprehend them. Besides, I'm doing research on the brain for addiction and the learning process, Owen. I 'm leaving the curing of cancer to the big boys." She went back to her thoughts digging herself deeper in the mystery that was her sister.

Adelaide was never a simpleton. She was complicated, a web intertwined on many different levels. Her secrets went beyond the normal. She held those few she trusted at an arm's length, because even those people could possible be hindrance. In Adelaide's line of work, you do not want people like that in your life. She was off yesterday, distant, more so than usual.

Eloise was so deep in thought she did not notice her husband carried on the conversation.

Owen laughed, "I'd like to meet those big boys. They can't be that impressive. I married you and you are literally a genius, so they cannot be that intimidating. And let's not get started on the rest of your family. Seriously, who in their right mind would marry into your family. I mean come on!"

He turned his head searching for the tint of laughter. There was not one. He stared hoping to get a reaction. When he received none, he whistled, "Ellie...Ellie...Eloise." He placed his hand tenderly on her hands, "Love, is everything alright?"

Shaken out of her world, Eloise blinked trying to find her bearings. She glimpsed at Owen madly chuckling, "I'm just reeling over the party last night. I cannot believe I used to go to those things all the time. Could you imagine a teenage me dancing the waltz with my dad?"

Not buying it, Owen's left eyebrow rose and his stare never wavered off her hazel eyes. He huffed, "Look, I may not be a genius, but I sure as hell am not stupid. At least, I am not stupid when it comes to you. Something is seriously up. What is it, Eloise?"

A ghost of a smile tainted her face as tears tried to burst from the corners of her eyes. Eloise wrapped her hands around his sighing, "I don't know. I don't know."

"Eloise, you can trust me."

She exhaled roughly, "That's not the problem. The problem is that I really don't know what is going on. I truly do not know. All I know without a doubt is that there is something going on, and not a single person has told me what that thing is." She had pushed her chair back and violently started to pace by her kitchen table. Looking at the lines forming on her husband's face, she ambled her way toward him. "Owen, I don't know what's going on, and that scares me."

He circled his arms around her pulling her towards him. Rocking her back and forth, Owen comforted his wife that only way he knew how, "Everything is going to be fine, love. You just wait and see. Adds has a superpower, and she's going to fix this. And if she doesn't then I promise I will find a way to make it right."

Sniffling, Eloise loosened her husbands hug and kissed him. She gently caressed his face, "I love you."

Owen smiled moving his forehead onto hers, "Love you, too." He pushed her away standing up, "Now, wash your face before the kids wake up. I don't want them to start to worry, because their mom decided today was the perfect day to get caught having a break down."

Eloise agreed and went off to clean herself up before her children tumbled down the stairs for breakfast. Owen was left alone in the kitchen pondering exactly how he was going to make this all better for his family.

Getting up to ready breakfast for his family, he heard pitter-patter of feet sneaking their way. Not look up, he called out, "I hear you. No one is leaving this house without breakfast, so the both of you better get yourselves into the kitchen."

Two children ran into the kitchen and plopped themselves into their chairs. Owen brought them their plates and wished them a good morning.

The girl swinging her legs asked, "Daddy, where's mom?"

Owen turned to face his daughter saying, "She's upstairs, Soph. Eat your breakfast."

The older boy snickered at his sister and she glared at him. With battle of wits carried on, Eloise entered the kitchen to see her children fighting and her husband ignoring them.

She sighed, "That is enough. Dylan, you are almost fourteen years old. Stop picking on you little sister, and Sophia...don't encourage him. And you, mister, are their father. You cannot just let them battle it out like they have been raised by wolves." She walked over to him.

He sheepishly said, "Well, I knew you were coming down."

Eloise turned around and addressed her children, "Now, go upstairs and pack some of your things. You are going to be staying with your Aunt Hannah for a while."

Both of them jumped out of their seats yelling out their excitement.

Brows furrowed, Owen questioned, "Since when are they staying with my sister for an undisclosed amount of time?"

Grabbing him, she answered, "Since my siblings started to be secretive. I may not know what is going on, but I know that something is. And it is a big something. Whatever it may be, I don't want the kids around for when it unfolds. I called Hannah when I was upstairs. She said it was fine. She understands."

They held on to each other, because they may be in the dark but they wholeheartedly believed a war may be on the horizon. There were always causalities in a war.

* * *

><p>He did not show up for work that day. He could not put those people in danger. He needed to be safely tucked away from others until he figured out what to do next.<p>

As he read over the files for the fourth time in the last twenty-four hours, he noticed an anomaly within his program. It was cleverly done. No one else would have seen it, but he was trained to catch this particular abnormalities that all others would miss.

It was a message...

_Headed your way, C. Should be there in a few hours. Be ready.-Q_

Mouth agape, Coby whispered, "What the hell are you doing, Quinn?"

He furthered his investigation and discovered that the message was sent from an undisclosed location about four hours ago. If Coby knew his brother as well as he prided himself, he would not be that far away.

Saving the files and hiding them, he panicked trying to understand his brother's reason for leaving safety and entering the uncertain world. He doubted it was because of these files. No, he believed his brother sacrificed his guaranteed life simply to help the rest of the team live.

If only Manny sent these to Reid, he would have figured out a way to use this to their advantage. She should have sent it to Adelaide who could have this all go away with a snap of her thin fingers. Manny cared too much about the two of them to sign their death certificate.

He knew Manny could not bring herself to send it to them for if any of the rest of them were in her position they would avoid sending it to the two of them as well.

He knew Spencer was the smartest man he had ever met, but he was also the gentlest soul. Logic directed them to send it him. Sentiment dictated that they needed to protect him and his kindness from being destroyed. And not one of them was going to get Addie killed. No, he fully believed that she was an angel sent to rescue them all, to help them trust humanity once again.

No, no one was going to kill those two. He fully believed that, because he would throw everyone else in the line of fire before he would allow for either of them to suffer.

* * *

><p>Hotch watched as his son practiced soccer. Their was an overwhelming urge to tuck Jack away from the world, to protect them from everything that could possibly harm him.<p>

A male voice tried to ease Hotch's anxiety, "You can't protect him from everything, you know."

Never breaking his stare, Hotch agreed, "I know, Dave. I know. It's just that..."

Rossi sat down next to him. He earned Hotch's full attention with what he said next, "I know you worry about Jack, but I was talking about Spencer. You feel responsible for his well-being not just because you have the power of attorney or because he is on your team. You feel responsible, because this is the man you have seen grow up right in front of you, and you have had a part in helping him get there. You feel responsible, because his like a the little brother that you didn't screw over...not yet anyway."

Turning back to Jack, Hotch just breathed in and out waiting for the right words to manifest themselves in his mind. He yearned for the correct way to express everything that plagued him about the situation. He settled for this, "Dave, I have this gut feeling that whatever is bothering Spencer goes beyond what I can do. It's this nagging in the back of mind practically yelling at me that Spencer is in so much trouble, lethal trouble. I...I want to ignore it, to say that I'm overreacting. I'm being overprotective, because he has suffered so much pain for someone so young. I just can't. I can't shake this feeling that he is lying to all of us to protect us from something that is completely out of our control. How am I suppose to deal with that every single day?"

Rossi stayed fixated on Hotch for some time digging into his brain for an answer that would bring his dear friend peace. He needed to do that for him, but how was he to accomplish such a thing? He could not just make all of the worry disappear. He could not undo everything that Reid had experienced in his life or propel himself into the future to help Reid avoid any unknown dangers. Life stuck him in the here and now.

Rossi knew something was off for a while. Dr. Spencer Reid had a knack for finding trouble, but he also had a knack of getting out of it with only seconds to spare. He somehow wiggled his way into people's hearts with his rather adorable (for a lack of a better word) qualities. He had this innocence about him that endeared him to everyone he meets. No one was excluded. There was a genuine kindness and sacrifice in him. He loved completely and without reservation when he could and suffers entirely because of it. It is why he attracted trouble all of his life, because he came last on his list of worries always. Everyone else came before him, so everyone else protected him tooth and nail.

He was a genius with FBI training that will bring himself to the line of fire before even contemplating the notion of sending someone he cares about in harm's way. Reid was indeed lying, but what had he done that was too dangerous to tell the rest of his team?

Rossi finally addressed the question that hung in the air, "Look Aaron, I don't have all the answers. I don't know how you should deal with it, but I know that Spencer is an adult. He will ask for your help when he needs it, if he ever does. Until then, don't worry so much about him that you miss out on some great moments."

As if on cue, Jack screamed, "Dad, did you see that? That was awesome!"

Feigning excitement, Hotch lied, "Of course. Good job, buddy."

Jack ran up to them, "Hey, Uncle Dave. Are you staying for dinner? Aunt Jessica is coming over with all of this food for a family dinner."

Laughing, Rossi said, "Shouldn't you ask your dad first?"

A smile painted on his face, Hotch told Rossi, "Dave, you are always invited, especially for family dinner."

Jack dumped his soccer ball on the ground and kicked it away. Preparing to play some more, Jack moved his head toward Rossi, "Sure thing, kiddo. I'll stay for dinner."

Dinner came and went. Jessica left with her family and Jack was tucked away in the haven of his room. Rossi had gone home after talking a little more about the Reid. Despite his friend's efforts, he could not shake this feeling that he should be helping Spencer. He believed without a question that Spencer Reid was crying out to him, crying out for people to notice something wrong. He believed that Reid was a private person, but that the moment had arrived for privacy to be ignored.

He believed someone was after a member of his team and that person was going to pay.

* * *

><p>He sat there sighing, "Thanks for letting me crash here."<p>

The other man brushed it off, "No problem, man."

His hands rubbed his face before continuing the conversation. "No, seriously, Morgan. You could have said no especially since we still don't know each other that well. I just don't know a lot of people yet..."

Hands in the air, Morgan chuckled, "Man, it's fine. I get it. You're new to the city and with our job, there isn't time to make friends other than the team. Don't worry about it, Glover."

Silence settled in before Nathan broached the thought haunting his mind, "Hey, Derek, how do you do it? How do you keep your relationship with Savannah? It's just that I've been married for seven years with no kids, and we've had our problems...but this job just made it worse, so how do you and Savannah do it?"

Morgan took in the sadness pouring out of his newest teammate and did not know how to respond. He allowed the quiet to dominate the room. He fully believed that everything happened for a reason including this heartbreak and all the pain to come.

* * *

><p>Waiting outside in the dark, Coby tapped his foot. He expected his brother to arrive at any moment, and Quinn was known to be never late. He checked his watch one more time. Not a minute had passed since the last time he looked at his shiny watch.<p>

While he looked, a voice called out, "What did mom use to say about us also asking about the time? Constantly checking does not make time go faster or something like that."

Coby twisted his body to face the voice that mirrored his own, "Yay, something like that. Hey, Quinn. How's life? I haven't seen you in a long time."

Headed in for a hug, Quinn chuckled, "I missed you, too, little brother."

Rolling his eyes, Coby let go of Quinn, sat down in his pervious seat, and argued, "We're twins. You're literally only four minutes older than me. Four minutes. Not four years, but four minutes."

Quinn pulled out the chair in front of Coby to take his place. The seriousness floated into the atmosphere waiting to be articulated between the two brothers. Not one of them wanted to be the first to dampen the mood of their reunion, something that had been four years in the making. They both knew they would never get this opportunity again.

Obligated by circumstances, Quinn talked first, "I know I should have stayed in hiding, but I had this bad feeling. I sent Reid a message about my cabins and how all of you could use them. I have three. You and I could stay in one. Schneider and Keller could take another one, and Manny, Addie, and Reid could take the third one. He never replied, so I figure I have to come here, talk to you, and gather everyone else before one of you dies one me. I mean..."

Realizing his mistake in letting his brother speak first, Coby interrupted him, "Quinn, Schneider and Keller are both dead. Manny is most likely dead, too. If she isn't then she will be soon. You could still try to convince Addie and Reid to go with you, but I'm not."

Unable to accept everything at once, Quinn threw his head in laughter, "You are so playing with me. No way are they all dead. No way."

Coby tried to reason with him, "I know it's hard to accept, but that's how Reid knew they were after us. People started disappearing. Our team started dying. I didn't expect you to know. You've been living underground for a long time. I didn't even know about Schneider and Keller until recently, and I mean recently like two days ago. It's true. There are less of us now."

Quinn leaned in and whispered, "We have to run. You, me, Adds have to run. We could try to convince Spencer to come with us, but that's going to be difficult. He won't want to leave his BAU team vulnerable like that. The rest of us could run. We could make it, Coby."

As his eyes grew dark and desperate, Coby sprang up from his chair and backed away, "I'm not running from this. I can't run from this. I'm the next target. There is no wishing this away. Manny found something that could safe whoever is left, and she picked me to take care of it. She knew her number was up, and she chose me to keep it going. I'm not running away." He walked away from his brother not being able to see his own face laced with doubt. He needed to believe that he decided on the right thing. One instance of hesitation would send him spiraling away from his responsibility.

Quinn went after him, "I don't like this."

Coby kept marching on, "Don't care."

Quinn murmured, "I don't think you understand, Jacoby. There is no way I'm going to let you just sit here and wait for them to sneak behind you and snap your neck. NO!"

Coby turned around and exploded, "I am not asking your permission, Quinlan. Manny risked everything to get us this information. And who knows how much Schneider and Keller added over the years before they were brutally murdered, so don't come here and tell me you are not allowing me to decide for myself. You left your perfect, little cocoon. If you wanted to live in safety, then you shouldn't have left those cabins hidden away from the world. I have lived out here in the open looking over my shoulder for years, while you were tucked away. You have no right to tell me what to do, understand?" He shifted his footing to carry on in the direction he had been previously going. He ignored his brother's calls.

Who did Quinn think he was? Coming all this way just to try to save him. Well, Quinn, you won't be the hero this time. He was. Jacoby Ryan Samuel was going to be a hero for the first time.

Footsteps behind him indicated someone was running in his direction. Glimpsing behind, he saw his own form saying, "Coby! Coby! Wait, stop!"

Steaming, he halted his movements, "What! What could you possible say?"

Caught up to his target, Quinn heaved, "I just don't want you to die, okay. I don't want to have to bury you, because of some crazy group of people. I don't want to die and I don't want you to die. I don't want any of us to die. I...I...I just want to be able to save us."

Closing his eyes, Coby inhaled and exhaled deeply. Opening them, he stared at his brother, "I don't want to die either, but I don't have a choice. Because you may want to save us all, but I actually can."

They stood there not saying anything for couple moments. Both of them yearned for this memory to burn in the minds as this may be the last time they were together. Embracing, they gave their goodbyes to one another and separated for the night.

With each step, they were further and further away from one another; their worlds unraveling as doubt settled in the shadows of every passing corner.

* * *

><p>Will entered his house quietly as he knew Henry would be asleep. What he did not expect was JJ waiting for him in the kitchen. He wandered in saying, "Hey, chérie. I didn't think you'd be up."<p>

Smiling, JJ greeted her husband, "I couldn't sleep. Something Emily said to me the yesterday."

He sat down and reached for her hand, "Jennifer, I know, but you can't let that get to you."

JJ's hands flew into the air as she ranted, "It's not just that. She was describing behavior in one of her agents, and it weirded me out. That agent of hers is acting a lot like Spencer. Everyone else thinks it's nothing, but I'm not so sure."

Will listened as JJ spewed out her worries. He never interrupted or made assumptions of any sort. Like a good husband, he offered comfort, support, and love. He never mentioned his belief that Spencer's actions reflected Jennifer's when she returned from her government operation. Nope, he never once mentioned that.


End file.
